Development and Evaluation of a Prolonged-Release Amla Formulation for Long-Term Prevention of Scurvy

Scurvy is the nutritional condition marked by symptoms like bleeding gums, exhaustion, poor wound healing and anemia, is caused by long-term vitamin C deficiency. Amla (Emblica officinalis) as potent antioxidant qualities and is a well known natural source of ascorbic acid (vitamin C). However, in order to maintain therapeutic levels ascorbic acid (vitamin C) must be administered frequently due to its
short biological half-life and poor stability. In order to provide prolonged vitamin C delivery for the long-term prevention of scurvy, the current study intends to develop and assess a sustained-release formulation of amla extract. In this study, a sustained-release hydrogel containing amla extract was created using sodium alginate and carbopol 934 as polymers. In order to improve gel strength and
control the drug release profile, calcium chloride was used as a cross- linking agent.