Optimization of cardamom fruit ethanol extract gel with combination of HPMC and Sodium Alginate as the gelling agent using Simplex Lattice Design

Abstract

Abstract Background: Cardamom has been studied and proven to be effective as an antibacterial. Gel preparations are preferred because they have advantages such as being easy to apply, providing a cooling effect, and being able to deliver drugs well. Objective: The purpose of this study was to make a gel formulation of ethanolic cardamom fruit extract by optimizing the combination of the gelling agent of HPMC and sodium alginate using the simplex lattice design (SLD). Methods: Cardamom fruit extract was obtained by extracting cardamom fruit simplicia using 70% ethanol. The formulation of the gel preparation from cardamom fruit extract was optimized using the SLD method on Design Expert. There were 5 gel formulas made and evaluated including organoleptic, pH, viscosity, spreadability, and adhesion. The independent variables in SLD were the amount of HMC and sodium alginate, while the responses included viscosity, spreadability, and adhesion. Optimal formula selection is done by using a numerical approach. Results: FI (HPMC 3.75% and sodium alginate 2.75%) and FII (HPMC 3.50% and sodium alginate 3.00%) met the test criteria for all the tests performed. The optimal formula suggested by SLD is a combination of 3.53% HPMC and 2.98% sodium alginate with a desirability value of 1.00. The predicted value for each response was the viscosity of 214.83 dPa.s, dispersion of 5.38 cm, and adhesion of 50.08 seconds. The optimal formula showed a dispersion value of 5.37cm. The results of the t-test indicated that the dispersion value of the observed results is not significantly different from the prediction software. Conclusion: Based on this research, it can be concluded that the use of a combination of HPMC and sodium alginate as a gelling agent can be optimized by using a simplex lattice design to obtain the optimum formula for cardamom fruit extract gel. Keywords: gel, hpmc, sodium alginate, SLD, kapulaga