Investigating Bael Fruit Gum Powder as Natural Polymer for Pharmaceutical Drug Delivery

Abstract

Nowadays, the use of natural products is crucial in pharmaceuticals. Currently, natural products made with natural polymer offer various biomedical applications. The objective of the present research was to characterize the bael fruit gum (Aegle marmelos L.) as a natural polymer and investigate its potential in pharmaceutical drug delivery. Extraction of bael fruit gum was carried out by simple maceration technique. Further, the extract was subjected to different phytochemical analysis. The characterization part was studied with sophisticated techniques such as fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Additionally, swelling and viscosity behavior were estimated as per the reported methods. Phytochemical analysis confirms the existence of major secondary metabolites like tannins, flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, and triterpenoids. FTIR results showed identical peaks of phytochemicals, which confirmed the presence of identical functional groups. XRD study indicates that extract nature is amorphous. The swelling behavior and viscosity study resulted in the rheological performance at an optimum and desired level. In conclusion, this research indicates the potential of bael fruit gum as a natural polymer for pharmaceutical applications, contributing to the discovery of new natural products and promoting their industrial use.