Title:Liquisolid Orodispersible Tablets of Valeriana officinalis L. Root Extraction: Formulation, Development and Evaluation
Volume: 16
Issue: 4
Author(s): Hossein Asgarirad, Ali Farmoudeh*, Shervin AmirKhanloo, Amirhossein Babaei, Seyyedeh Saba Hosseini and Yashar Kishani
Affiliation:
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari,Iran
Keywords:
Valerenic acid, orodispersible tablets, super disintegrant, sublimating agent, liquid-solid dispersion, drug release
kinetics.
Abstract:
Background: Valerian root extract is used in traditional medicine to treat sleep disorders.
According to previous studies, sedative effects are related to the presence of valerenic acid. Formulating
orodispersible tablets (ODTs) is an effective and cost-benefit technique for accelerating drugs'
therapeutic effects. This study aimed to formulate ODTs of valerian root extract and evaluate their
properties.
Materials and Methods: Valerian root was extracted by percolation in 70% ethanol. The solubility of
valerenic acid was investigated in various liquid carriers. The extract was uniformly dispersed in the
selected carrier (Tween 80), then mixed with other excipients, and compressed into tablets. Fourteen
formulations with different amounts of sodium starch glycolate (SSG, as a super disintegrant) and
camphor (as a sublimating agent) were prepared. The physicochemical properties of the ODTs, drug
release rates, and microbial limit tests (MLTs) were studied.
Results: Both SSG and camphor accelerated tablet disintegration rates and their composition showed a
synergistic effect (P<0.05). The infrared spectroscopy revealed no chemical interaction between formulation
components. The MLTs confirmed that a limited number of microbial colonies were grown
in the liquid medium, and no pathogen growth occurred in the specific culture media.
Conclusion: The results revealed that Valerian ODT's physicochemical properties were significantly
improved compared to conventional tablets. The technique can be utilized for other poorly watersoluble
pharmaceuticals.