Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) derived hydrocolloid; isolation, characterization and
its application as a stabilizer in oil-in- water emulsions
Frank Ohwoavworhua*, Ademola Oduola, Mathias Iji, Gideon Okpanachi, Akila James, Alheri Samaila, Sahara Kwarams.
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Gombe State University, Gombe, Nigeria.
| Key words:
Aloe vera hydrocolloid, Extraction, Characterization, Stabilizer in oil-in-water emulsions, Formulation…
*Corresponding Author: frankohwo@gsu.edu.ng
Page No: 112–120
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AbstractOne naturally occurring product that has been used in the pharmaceutical industry is the hydrocolloid. Although considerable work has been done on sourcing hydrocolloids from other sources, only few investigations have studied the possibility of obtaining hydrocolloid from Aloe vera plant, and using it as an excipient. Aloe Vera is a drought-resisting, perennial plant that belongs to the Asphodelaceae family. The purpose of this study was to extract Aloe vera hydrocolloid as a pharmaceutical excipient and evaluates its use as a stabilizer in oil-in-water emulsion. The Aloe vera hydrocolloid was precipitated out of the Aloe vera gel with methanol, and was then characterized for physical, particulate and powder properties. The Aloe vera hydrocolloid was used in concentrations of 2%, 4% and 6% w/v oil-in-water emulsions, and the stability of the emulsions was evaluated by visual observations. The particulate properties were determined using Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) techniques. The percent yield of the hydrocolloid was 1.12%. The SEM revealed that Aloe vera hydrocolloid consists of particles of colloidal dimensions, ranging from few nanometers to micrometers, while the FTIR spectrum of the Aloe vera hydrocolloid revealed the presence of C-H, O-H and C=O group, and the XRD showed that Aloe vera hydrocolloid is both crystalline and amorphous in nature. The powder flow properties indexes, such as flow rate, Carr’s index, Hausner’s ratio, and angle of repose showed the Aloe vera hydrocolloid has moderate to good flow. The high hydration capacity and swelling capacity of Aloe vera hydrocolloid was 9.4 and 900 %, respectively. The emulsions made with Aloe vera hydrocolloids had superior stablility than those made from Acacia gum. |