Isolation and evaluation of mucilage from herbal plant as a pharmaceutical excipient

In recent years, plant derived polymers have evoked tremendous interest due to their diverse pharmaceutical applications such as diluents , binders, disintegrants in tablets, thickeners in oral liquids, protective colloids in suspensions, gelling agents in gels and bases in suppository. These polymers such as natural gums and mucilage are biocompatible, cheap and easily available and are preferred to semi synthetic and synthetic excipients because of their lack of toxicity, low cost, availability, soothing action and non-irritant nature. Present study was focusing on isolation of mucilage from herbal plants with their evaluation as pharmaceutical excipient. The mucilage of plant of family of Cruciferae was collected from seeds. Seeds of the plant Lepidium sativum were isolated. Characterized for various parameters such as pH, Melting Point, Physical Appearance, solubility etc. The Lepidium sativum mucilage has been reported to have the gel forming potential. The mucilage is isolated by dissolving in water and precipitating in acetone. The morphological and physical evaluatory study of isolated mucilage shows, it is brownish powder, with characteristic odor. It is soluble in warm water, practically insoluble in ethanol, acetone, ether and chloroform. Moisture content of mucilage was found to be 106.12 %.The swelling index was found to be 18. And ash value was found to be 0.066%. The bulk density and tapped density of mucilage was found to be 0.60 and 0.40 gm/cc. The results of chemical test shows presence of Carbohydrate while the absence of Tannins, Chloride and Sulphate. The isolated mucilage was found acceptable for all the tested organoleptic properties.