Preliminary Studies on Binding Potentials of Defatted Cake Derived From Blighia Sapida Seeds in Ascorbic Acid Tablets

The physicochemical properties and binding potentials of defatted cake derived from Blighia sapida seeds (BSSC) were studied and compared with maize starch BP in ascorbic acid formulations. Milled seeds of Blighia sapida was macerated with n-hexane for 5 days to separate the oil, the resultant defatted cake was further extracted with a mixture of ethanol and water (4:10). The physicochemical properties of the BSSC were determined using standard procedures. Compatibility of BSSC powder with ascorbic acid was evaluated using Fourier Trans Infra-Red (FTIR) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) techniques. Ascorbic acid tablets were formulated using varying concentrations of the BSSC as a binder at the same compression settings. The physical properties of formulated tablets were studied. BSSC had pH of 5.58 and a moisture content of 6.68 %. Its bulk and tapped density were 0.35 ± 0.3 g/mL and 0.45 ± 0.4 g/mL; the powder had fair flow with angle of repose 40 ± 1.50 and Hausner’s ratio of 1.29. FITR technique showed that BSSC was compatible with ascorbic acid, however, the DSC thermogram showed that there was a well-defined interaction of the ascorbic acid and BSSC which were evidenced by the shift of the endothermic melting peak. The ascorbic acid tablets formulated using BSSC as binder had low friability; hard tablets with consistent disintegration rates and also similar binding properties to 2 %w/w maize starch BP were obtained. BSSC has similar binding properties compared to maize starch BP and can be a potential source of a low-cost binder.