Abstract:
This aim of this study was to produce pharmaceutical grade microfine cellulose from alpha- cellulose derived from saw dust of the tropical tree Gmelina arborea, using trona (sodium sesquicarbonate), a known depolymerization agent, evaluate the physicochemical properties of the resulting cellulose and develop meltextrusion matrices containing acetaminophen using the cellulose. Alpha–cellulose was extracted from sawdust and treated with various concentrations of trona (0.1, 1, 2, 5, 10, 15 and 20 %) to produce tronated microfine cellulose – TMFC. The physicochemical properties of TMFC was determined and compared with Avicel PH 101 (Microcrystalline cellulose, MCC), a standard cellulose. TMFC was then used to prepare melt-extrusion matrices of acetaminophen. Some physicochemical properties of the matrices were determined. Drug dissolution from the meltextrusion matrices was evaluated in 0.1N HCl (pH 1.2). Results indicate that the physicochemical properties of the α–cellulose were comparable to MCC. R_f values revealed no drug-excipient incompatibility between acetaminophen and TMFC. The physicochemical tests on TMFC showed that these matrices are of sufficiently high mechanical strength and that they had relatively high uniformity in both weight and dimensions. Release studies showed that although TMFC compared favorably with MCC, TCMC slightly increased cumulative drug released from the matrices compared with non-tronated cellulose and achieved sustained release of acetaminophen in the stomach environment (pH 1.2). This study has shown that TMFC prepared from sawdust Gmelina arborea could be used along with paraffin wax in the development of melt-extrusion matrices which could be employed to achieve sustained and targeted delivery of acetaminophen in the stomach.

Keywords: Gmelina arborea, Acetaminophen, Sustained Delivery, Tronation, Saw dust, Cellulose.