COMPRESSIONAL PROPERTIES OF METRONIDAZOLE TABLET FORMULATIONS CONTAINING ALOE VERA AS BINDING AGENT

The purpose of the present work was to determine the compressional characteristics of metronidazole tablet containing Aloe vera as a binding agent. Metronidazole tablet formulations were prepared using Aloe vera mucilage as a binder at different concentrations (1-5%w/w) and this was compared with formulations containing polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) as a standard. The tablet properties were assessed using friability, crushing strength and disintegration time while compressional characteristics were analysed using density measurements, Heckel and Kawakita equations. The tablet properties conformed to the Pharmacopoeia standards. Tablets formulated with PVP were generally stronger than tablets made from Aloe Vera. All the batches passed the friability tests and the percentage friability decreased with increase in binder concentration. Formulations containing Aloe Vera disintegrated faster than those containing PVP. Tablets containing Aloe Vera exhibited a faster onset of plastic deformation during compression as indicated by the low Pyvalues and a lower degree of total plastic deformation. Results suggest that Aloe Vera could be a useful binding agent in pharmaceutical formulations