Properties of Delonix regia seed gum as a novel tablet binder.

The mechanical and disintegration properties of paracetamol tablets formulated using Delonix regia seed gum (DRSG) as a binder have been studied in this work. Acacia BP (ACG) and tragacanth BP (TRG) were used as official gum standards. The mechanical properties, i.e. tensile strength (TS) and brittle fracture index (BFI), showed that with an increase in concentration of the gum binder, the tensile strength increased while the BFI was reduced. The crushing strength - friability/disintegration time ratio used to analyze the disintegration properties gave a rank order: tablets containing DRSG > tablets containing ACG > tablets containing TRG at 1%, w/w binder concentration while for higher binder concentrations, the rank order is: tablets containing ACG > tablets containing TRG > tablets containing DRSG. The results suggest that while Delonix regia seed gum may be useful as a binder, its use at a low concentration will improve the balance between the binding and disintegration properties of tablets when a faster disintegration is desired, while its use at a high concentration could serve the desire for a modified or sustained release tablet formulation.