CHAPTER II

AND OBJECTIVE

AIM

AIM AND OBJECTIVE

2.1 Need for study
The oral route of administration is considered as the most widely accepted route. But
the most evident drawback of the commonly used oral dosage forms like tablets and capsules is
difficulty in swallowing, leading to patients incompliance particularly in pediatric and geriatric
patients. Orodispersible tablets which gives advantages like absorption of drug directly into the
systemic circulation; it is ideal dosage form for patients suffering from dysphasia, also useful in
clinical conditions where water intake is limited and mainly useful for drugs undergoing high
first pass metabolism. Orodispersible tablet can disperse/disintegrate and dissolve rapidly in
saliva without the need of drinking water. When such tablets are placed in oral cavity, saliva
quickly penetrates into the pores to cause rapid tablet disintegration.
Excipients are the additives used to convert active pharmaceutical ingredients into
pharmaceutical dosage forms suitable for administration to the patients. New and improved
excipients continued to develop to meet the demands of conventional drug delivery systems. A
number of researchers have explored the utility of plant based materials as pharmaceutical
excipients.
Natural gums and mucilages obtained from plants has been extensively used for their
ease of availability, low cost, eco-friendliness, emollient, less toxicity, biodegradability and
compatible nature. In view of all these advantages and high demand, mucilage obtained from
fenugreek seeds were investigated for its application as disintegrating agent.
Propranolol HCl is an antihypertensive drug, which undergoes extensive hepatic
degradation (96%) which has poor bioavailability (26%). Overcoming these problems
orodispersible tablets of Propranolol HCl can be developed using fenugreek seed mucilage as a
superdisintegrant and its disintegrating properties are also compared with synthetic
superdisintegrants such as sodium starch glycolate and crospovidone.
MAHARAJAHS COLLEGE OF PHARMACYPage 27

CHAPTER II

AND OBJECTIVE

AIM

2.2 Objectives

Isolation of Trigonella foenum graceum L. seed mucilage as a superdisintegrant.

Physicochemical characterization of obtained mucilage.

Preparation of orodispersible tablets of Propranolol HCl by direct compression technique

using different concentrations (5%, 10% and 15% w/w) of

natural disintegrant

fenugreek seed mucilage and synthetic superdisintegrants like sodium starch glycolate
and crospovidone.

To compare fenugreek seed mucilage disintegrating properties with that of sodium starch
glycolate and crospovidone.

MAHARAJAHS COLLEGE OF PHARMACYPage 28