Glucomannan (GM)—a polysaccharide generally extracted from the tuber of Amorphophallus konjac—has great potential as a filler–binder in direct compression, disintegrant in tablets, or gelling agent due to its strong hydrophilicity and extremely high viscosity. However, it has poor water resistance and low mechanical strength when used as an excipient in solid form. Several physical and chemical modifications have been carried out to improve these drawbacks. Chemical modification affects the characteristics of GM based on the DS. Carboxymethylation improves GM functionality by modifying its solubility and viscosity, which in turn allows it to bind water more efficiently and thus improve its elongation and gel homogeneity. Meanwhile, physical modification enhances functionality through combination with other excipients to improve mechanical properties and modify swelling ability and drug release from the matrix. This review discusses extraction of GM and its modification to enhance its applicability as an excipient in solid form. Modified GM is a novel excipient applicable in the pharmaceutical industry for direct compression, as a tablet disintegrant, a film-forming agent, and for encapsulation of macromolecular compounds or drug carriers for controlled release.
Plant Sources | Part | Extraction Method | Principle | Extraction Solvent | Molecular Weight | % Yield | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aloe barbadensis M. | Leaves | Cold method (maceration for 24 h) | Maceration at room temperature with frequent agitation intended to soften and break the plant’s cell wall to release glucomannan | Ethanol precipitation | 1.2 MDa | 23.4% | [59] |
Amorphophallus muelleri B. | Tubers | Cold method (maceration for 3 h) | Multilevel concentration of ethanol (40, 60, and 80%) | NA | 62.2% | [55] | |
Amorphophallus konjac | Tubers | Cold method for 90 min | 50% ethanol | 9.5 × 105 g/mol | 91.4% | [60] | |
Colocasia esculenta L. | Tubers | Cold method with centrifugal rotational | Separation of starch and glucomannan is done by adding electrolyte salts such as NaCl to break the bond between starch and glucomannan Maceration at room temperature with frequent agitation intended to soften and break the plant’s cell wall to release the soluble glucomannan. Centrifugal rotational promotes the starch precipitate faster. | Isopropyl alcohol precipitation. Crude extract was extracted with water for 2 h | NA | 4.08% | [61] |
Amorphophallus campanulatus B.) | Tubers | Cold method with centrifugal rotational | Isopropyl alcohol precipitation. Crude extract was extracted with water for 2 h | NA | 5.64% | [61] | |
Salacca edulis R. | Seeds | Hot water extraction (T = 95 °C for 2 h) | Glucomannan has greater solubility in hot water and is stable enough for minimum destruction with hot water extraction. | 95% isopropyl alcohol solvent in a ratio (1:17) | 2.057 × 104 g/mol | 40.19% | [62] |
Durio zeibethinus M. | Seeds | Hot method (T = 95 °C for 2 h) | Isopropyl alcohol precipitation. Crude extract was washed with ethanol 95% | NA | 39.60% | [63] | |
Dioscorea esculenta | Tubers | Hot method (T = 105 °C for 90 min) | Hot water extraction of the precipitate with isopropyl alcohol | 1.865 × 104 g/mol | 53.09% | [64] | |
Bletilla striata | Tubers | Hot water extraction (T = 80 °C for 4 h) | 95% ethanol precipitation. Crude extract was purified with DEAE-52 cellulose column | 1.7 × 105 Da | 27.21% | [65] | |
Amorphophallus oncophyllus | Tubers | Hot water extraction (T = 55 °C for 1.5 h) | Purified with 95% ethanol | NA | 93.84% | [6] | |
Amorphophallus oncophyllus | Tubers | Ultrasonic | Ultrasonic breaking of plant cell wall significantly improves glucomannan extraction efficiency | 60% isopropanol | NA | 59.36% | [66] |
Cibotium barometz | Rhizomes | Alkali extraction | Glucomannan, a higher molecular weight polysaccharide, has greater solubility in dilute alkaline solutions than in hot water. Generally, extraction of the polysaccharides is first carried out in hot water and thereafter a dilute alkaline solution is employed for the extraction of residual polysaccharides. | Sodium hydroxide ([NaOH] 0.3 mol/L) | 1445 Da | 8.25% | [67] |
Combination of Excipients | Co-Processed | Application | Mechanism | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
GM and HPMC K 100 LV | Microwave on level 5 (350 W) for 30 min | Matrix for gastro-retentive tablets forming a porous channel that allows the polymer mixture to absorb more water and expand, followed by prolonged drug release | Hydrogen bonds in single polymers have low energy, but the simultaneous formation of interlinked hydrogen bonds between polymer components provides significant interaction strength, resulting in a matrix that floats quickly and maintains the integrity of the polymer mixture under acidic conditions. | [97] |
GM and lactose | Wet granulation | Filler–binder for direct compression of effervescent tablets | GM has a high viscosity and strong adhesive properties, thus providing good tablet binding effectiveness. GM has poor solubility in water, so it is combined with lactose as a water-soluble ingredient and to improve the poor flowability of lactose. | [98] |
GM, sodium alginate (SA), and graphene oxide (GO) | Freeze dried | Microsphere-making polymers that enhance targeted delivery of drugs or nutrients to the colon | GM interacts with SA via hydrogen bonding and physical entanglement, and GO enhances these interactions in the microspheres. In addition, GO can greatly improve the loading efficiency of ciprofloxacin (CPFX) of microspheres, and achieve the sustained release effect of CPFX. | [26] |
Oxidized GM, cassava starch, and sucrose esters | Dry heated | The OGM–CS combination exhibits low solubility and swellability, which makes it a possible excipient for the formulation of sustained-release drugs. However, the addition of SE significantly decreased porosity and swelling of the tablets, which inhibited immediate drug release. | Heating OGM and CS to high temperatures causes structural damage that limits the solubility and swelling ability of the polymer. The addition of SE with HLB 5 decreased porosity and slowed drug release because the more closed structure inhibited free movement of the drug out of the matrix. In addition, more hydroxyl groups in SE form hydrogen bonds, increasing intergranular bonding. |
[84] |
CMGM and 2-hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride chitosan (HACC) | Complex coacervation and freeze dried | The coaservation complex formed can encapsulate and control the release of the molecular model for the vaccine, namely ovalbumin (OVA). | The anionic carboxyl group of CMGM and the cationic quaternary amine group of HACC cause intramolecular electrostatic attraction that causes the HACC and CMGM macromolecular chains to aggress and coil, forming the CMGM/HACC composite nanosphere. | [23] |
This entry is adapted from the peer-reviewed paper 10.3390/polym14132550