Hydrocolloid from leaves of Corchorus olitorius L. as a matrix former for oral controlled drug delivery: Investigation of swelling, release and compression behaviors.

Corchorus olitorius (CO) is a tropical herb that contains a water-soluble hydrocolloid (COH) with promising viscosity-enhancing properties. This study evaluates COH as a hydrophilic matrix-former for oral sustained-release tablets. COH was extracted and characterized using FTIR, TGA, DSC and PXRD, confirming its functional groups typical of acidic polysaccharides and amorphous nature. Matrix tablets containing paracetamol were prepared via direct compression, with HPMC, xanthan gum, sodium alginate, and locust bean gum serving as comparative polymers. Drug release studies in 0.1 N HCl and phosphate buffer (pH 6.8) revealed that COH effectively sustained paracetamol release, performing comparably to HPMC and xanthan gum and outperforming sodium alginate and locust bean gum. The release mechanism followed anomalous diffusion, combining Fickian diffusion and matrix erosion. COH, HPMC, and xanthan gum exhibited pH-independent release profiles. Compression studies highlighted COH's superior compaction behavior, with a significantly higher work of compaction (WC), indicating its ability to efficiently absorb energy during compression. COH tableting mixtures demonstrated excellent compressibility, tabletability, and minimal elastic recovery, forming dense tablets with mechanical strength comparable to HPMC and superior to other polymers. This study establishes COH as a promising hydrophilic polymer for sustained-release formulations, offering pH-independent drug release and excellent mechanical properties.