Pharmaceutical ingredients are required in the preparation of a drug tablet: fillers to increase the bulk and lubricants to reduce friction during the tableting process. Some pharmaceutical ingredients require a binder for tableting. This provides the cohesiveness necessary for binding ingredient granules under compression. The quantity used must be carefully regulated, since the tablet must disintegrate after administration to liberate the drug (1). Binders act by causing aggregation of powders, thereby forming granules through the granulation process. They modify the cohesive properties of the granules by promoting the formation of strong cohesive bonds between such particles (2). Mucilages and gums are well known for their medicinal use. In recent times, increasing attention has been given to the application of gums of various sources as phar- Mucilage extracted from Plantago psyllium seeds was evaluated for inertness and safety parameters. The suitability of psyllium mucilage for a pharmaceutical binder was assessed in paracetamol tablets. Properties of the granules prepared using different concentrations of psyllium mucilage was compared with PVP and tragacanth. Psyllium mucilage at 5 % (m/m) was found to be comparable with 3 % (m/m) of PVP. Investigated paracetamol tablets indicated that psyllium mucilage can retard the drug release
