PHYSICOCHEMICAL EVALUATION OF alpha-CELLULOSE OBTAINED FROM DESTARCHED WHITE AND YELLOW MAIZE CHAFF I: DIRECT COMPRESSION PROPERTIES

Authors: *Eraga S.O, Mbong D.E, Iwuagwu M.A

DOI Info: N/A

ABSTRACT

The physicochemical and direct compression properties of cellulose powders extracted from de-starched white and yellow maize chaff has been investigated. Extraction of the alpha-cellulose powders of the maize chaffs was done by acidic delignification using nitric acid. The cellulose powders extracted were subjected to physicochemical and Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) analyses. Thereafter, tablet compresses of the powders were formulated using three compression pressures. The cellulose compacts were evaluated for their tablets properties. The extracted cellulose powders were white in colour, tasteless, insoluble in water and gritty in texture. They reacted negatively to the presence of starch, sugar and lignin but positively to cellulose. They exhibited the following properties; fair to poor flowability, angle of repose (> 40°), Hausner’s ratio (> 1.40) Carr’s index (> 28.54%), hydration capacity (> 4.25%), moisture content (< 2.20%) and swelling capacity (< 79%). FTIR analysis showed very similar and comparable characteristic spectra for the cellulose powders. Cellulose powder tablets compressed at different compression pressures showed good tablet strength (> 4.45 kp, > 4.12 N/m²) and friability values (? 0.8%). The porosity, swelling indices and moisture sorption capacities of the tablets were > 0.60, > 27.20% and > 36.20%, respectively. The study has shown that the extracted alpha-cellulose from white and yellow maize chaffs exhibits comparable physicochemical properties and their tablet formulations at different compression pressures also showed comparable tableting properties, hence the obtained alpha-cellulose powders can be used as a direct compression excipient in solid dosage forms because of their high compression and binding ability.

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