STUDIES ON ISOLATION AND EVALUATION OF OCIMUM TENUIFLORUM LINN SEED MUCILAGE

Abstract

Plant products serve as an alternative to synthetic products because of local accessibility, eco-friendly nature and lower prices compared to important synthetic products. Natural gums and mucilages have been widely explored as pharmaceutical excipient. The present study was undertaken to isolate and evaluate mucilage from the seeds of Ocimum Tenuiflorum Linn and explore its use as a pharmaceutical excipient. Various methods of mucilage extraction were tried and simple, economical and optimum method was developed. Physicochemical properties of Ocimum seed mucilage such as pH, Swelling index, Bulk and Tapped Densities, Carr's Index and Hausner’s Ratio, Viscosity, Angle of Repose were studied