DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A PROLONGEDRELEASE 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. The stability, in vitro drug release, drug content, swelling
behavior and gel strength of the prepared formulation were assessed. The
outcomes show controlled and prolonged release of vitamin C over a long period
of time, demonstrating effective sustained-release characteristics. According to
stability studies, the formulation held up well under certain storage
circumstances. Therefore, a promising natural and patient-friendly method for
sustaining therapeutic ascorbic acid (vitamin C) levels and preventing scurvy over
and extended period of time is offered by the developed sustained-release amla
formulation.