Modification of Glucomannan as an Excipient: History
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Glucomannan (GM) is a polysaccharide generally extracted from the tuber of Amorphophallus konjac. It consists of mannose and glucose residues linked by β-(1-4) and exhibits hydrocolloid characteristics which can be applied as thickening and gelling agents. 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 involves the substitution of functional groups in GM’s structure including esterification and etherification. It causes a decrease in its high hydrophilic film behavior and produce water-resistant films.

Physical modification involves mixing native GM with other excipients through processes involving milling, moisture, temperature, pressure, radiation, etc. It causes variations to particle size, shape, surface properties, porosity, density, and to functional properties such as swelling capacity and gelation ability

  • glucomannan
  • chemical modification
  • physical modification
  • excipient

1. Introduction

Solid dosage of drugs is most preferable because it provides accurate dosage and is more stable than other forms [1]. Common uses include uncoated and film-coated tablets and film. Production requires polymers to enable pharmaceutical products to optimally control drug release [2,3] and to improve physicochemical properties [4,5]. Natural polymers such as glucomannan (GM) have attracted extensive attention due to their biodegradability, nontoxicity, harmlessness, and biocompatibility.
Glucomannan (GM) is a polysaccharide typically extracted from Amorphophallus oncophyllus [6] and Amorphophallus muerelli Blume [7]. It has the ability to thicken and form a gel; hence, this compound is widely used in various industries, including the pharmaceutical industry as a binder [8], thickener [9], gelling agent [10], film former [11], coating material for tablets [12,13], emulsifier [14], and stabilizer [15].
As a natural polymer, GM has properties that are superior to other polysaccharides when used as excipients for solid preparations, especially in tablet production. GM could be the excipient of choice for direct compression—the most efficient tablet manufacturing method—because it has desirable free-flowing and compressibility behavior [16,17,18]. GM is also reported as a widely used coating material and stabilizer in the pharmaceutical industry due to its gelling properties and particular rheological properties [11,13,19].
Native GM has several disadvantages for pharmaceutical applications, such as extremely high viscosity and low mechanical strength [20,21]. In addition, GM’s high-water absorption index causes poor water resistance and limits some potential applications [14,22]. However, these shortcomings of native GM could be overcome through chemical or physical modification to enhance its structural and functional quality.
Chemical modification involves the substitution of functional groups in GM’s structure including esterification and etherification and elongation of the molecular chain through the formation of crosslinks and encapsulation. Depending on the degree of substitution (DS), these modifications alter several characteristic of GM, such as homogeneous film formation [11], increased tensile strength [15], improved thermal stability [15], and sustained release [23].
GM can be physically modified to improve functionality without undergoing chemical changes. Physical modifications involve mixing native GM with other excipients through processes involving milling [24], moisture [25], temperature [26], pressure [27], radiation [28,29], etc. Physical modifications cause variations to particle size, shape, surface properties, porosity, density, and to functional properties such as swelling capacity and gelation ability. These modifications directly influence disintegration and mechanical properties when used as an excipient in solid form.

This entry is adapted from the peer-reviewed paper 10.3390/polym14132550

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