Formulating robust tablets of aqueous extract of Vernonia amygdalina: Effect of excipients on tablet properties

Abstract

The formulation of herbal extracts into tablets that meet the various quality expectations in terms of compendial and non-compendial requirements often presents a lot of challenges because of the peculiar nature of certain physicochemical properties of the extracts. In this study, some critical  physicochemical parameters such as flow, moisture content, and moisture sorption of the pre-compression material (aqueous extract of Vernonia  amygdalina) were determined. Robust tablets that met compendia and non-compendia requirements for quality were produced by both wet granulation and direct compression techniques using specific and appropriate quantities of excipients. The weight variation, mechanical strength and disintegration time of the compressed tablets were evaluated. Quality tablets that met critical quality expectations in terms of compendia and non-compendia requirements were produced using both the wet granulation and direct compression techniques.

Keywords: Herbal extract; Vernonia amygdalina; Wet granulation technique; Direct compression technique; Robust tablets