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Co-processing excipients improve functionality, dosage form processing and drug delivery. This research seeks to employ co-processed grewia gum in the formulation of ciprofloxacin capsule. Grewia gum was extracted from Grewia plant stem bark and purified. The gum was analysed for drug interaction using FT-IR and DSC techniques. Eight combinations of grewia gum, lactose and microcrystalline cellulose were derived from 23 factorial designs and co-processed using the wet agglomeration method. The co-processed excipient was analysed for micromeritic properties, kneaded with ciprofloxacin and granulated. The granules were analysed for densification properties, and filled into size 00 hard gelatin capsule shell. The capsule was analysed for physicochemical properties. The yield of grewia gum was 32.87 %. The FT-IR and DSC results showed no new chemical entity. The co-processed powder excipients showed angle of repose, Carr's indices and Hausner ratios less than 29.23, 15.95 and 1.15 degrees respectively, and flow rate greater than 21.19 grams per second. The granules gave yield strength and compactibility ranges of 133.32 to 720.62 and 0.07 to 0.19 respectively. These results value fall within reference indices of good powder flow and granules compaction. Capsules from the nine batches disintegrated within 12.5 minutes and dissolved between 54 and 62 percent drug after 60 minutes in both acidic and basic pH media respectively. The optimal formulation containing 78.3, 17.4 and 4.3 percent lactose, grewia gum and avicel respectively showed extended drug release properties. Increasing the concentration of grewia gum in co-processed excipient improved flowability and processing efficacy of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride capsules.
Nnamani et al. (Wed,) studied this question.