Use of co-precipitates of Brachystegia Eurycoma gum and egg albumin as binder in the formulation of metronidazole tablets

The present study was aimed at producing metronidazole tablets with co-precipitates of Brachystegia gum and egg albumin as binder, and testing the stability of the metronidazole tablets with regard to moisture uptake and also the effect of moisture sorption on disintegration and dissolution profiles of the tablets. The attention of the public was also intended to be drawn to the dangers of wrong storage of medications. The tablets were prepared with 6% concentration of the binder. Three relative humidity chambers (100%, 75% and 1%) representing accelerated stability, ambient and dry conditions respectively, were employed. Five metronidazole tablets were stored in each of the humidity chambers for thirty days. The tablets were weighed every five days. Disintegration and dissolution tests were performed on them, before and after storage. Tablets stored in 100% humidity chamber gelled within five days; those in 75% chamber absorbed moisture up to 120% within twenty five days, while tablets in 1% chamber did not absorb any moisture. The disintegration rate of the tablets stored in 75% humidity chamber increased while that of tablets stored in 1% humidity chamber, remained the same. The metronidazle tablets disintegrated at a faster rate even after storage under moisture and their dissolution profiles were not adversely affected. Thus, the above technology of using co-precipitates as binder is advantageous.Keywords: Co-precipitate, metronidazole, tablets, dissolution profile, Brachystegia gum, egg albuminJournal of Pharmaceutical and Allied Sciences, Vol. 10 No. 3 (2013