Comparative Study on Natural Gum Used In Treatment of Fecal Impaction

Abstract

Fecal impaction is one of the most frequently reported gastrointestinal (GI) disorders that negatively impacts quality of life and is associated with a significant economic burden to the patients and society. Traditional treatments including lifestyle modification and laxatives are often ineffective in the more severe forms of constipation and over the long term. New medications targeting at intestinal chloride channels and colonic serotonin receptors have been demonstrated effective in recent years. Emerging agents focusing on improving intestinal secretion and/or colonic motility have been shown effective in animal models and even in clinical trials. Natural gums like tragacanth, asacia, isabgol are promising biodegradable polymeric materials as the conventional excipients used in the formulation development is evaluated and compared for the following papaments like Swelling index ( maximum for Isabgol 6.11 ) it can be used as mucoadhesive polymers, Solubility of gums (all the natural gum were water soluble ), Loss of drying/moisture content (maximum for Isabgol 123 %) it can be used for Cummulative Drug Release, ash value (maximum for Isabgol 0.10) ash is good indicator of either previous extraction of water soluble salts in drugs, density (Tapped density is maximum for tragacanth 0.78 ) Good density can be used for oral solid formulation , Measurement of Compressibility( maximum for tragacanth 34.6). Good compressibility can be successfully handled using a weak binder in the formulation. For Matrix Tablets isabgol is the best base then tragacanth or acacia.