Evaluation of Suspending Properties of Eulophia campestris Wall. Mucilage

Natural resources in general and plant materials in particular are receiving more attention due to their safety as pharmaceutical excipients. Present work assessed the potential of natural gum mucilage of Eulophia campestris, as suspending agent, and it's utility to formulate a deflocculated suspension. The gum mucilage was extracted by multiple maceration technique using water and precipitation by acetone (30% w/v yield). Physicochemical characteristics of mucilage, such as solubility, swelling index, loss on drying, pH, viscosity and microbial load was determined. The macerated mucilage was evaluated for suspending property by preparing suspension in four different concentrations 1%-4%w/v. The suspensions were evaluated for rate of separation, degree of flocculation, redispersion, rheological property, pH determination and particle size analysis.