Abstract
The raw material used for this NCC production was oil palm empty bunches (OPEFB), currently waste from oil palm plantations. Delignification of OPEFB was carried out using 2 N NaOH solution at 70oC for 6 hours. NCC maximum yield from OPEFB is 62.1% (dry cellulose basis) obtained at a concentration of 54% sulfuric acid and a temperature of 50oC. The addition of plasticizers (glycerol and PEG) reduced the elastic modulus of NCC capsules from 7951.4 MPa to 4758 MPa (glycerol) and 3225 (PEG). The addition of glycerol and PEG did not affect the disintegration time of NCC capsules. NCC capsules have a release capability similar to the commercially available gelatin capsules. At 14 minutes, discharge reached about 43%, and it becomes constant after 18 minutes.
Highlights
Capsules are widely used to transfer powder drugs into the human body, and they should be colorless and odorless
This study develops alternative materials with more advantages than existing raw materials to overcome the various weaknesses in commercial capsule-making raw materials and other alternative materials
Oil palm empty bunches have been successfully used as raw material for the manufacture of Nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) capsules
Summary
Capsules are widely used to transfer powder drugs into the human body, and they should be colorless and odorless. The use of gelatin as raw material for capsules or other pharmaceutical products creates controversy considering that the raw material source is often unclear, whether it comes from pigs or other animals (especially for countries where most of the population is Muslim). Besides the source of gelatin raw material, which is often unclear, another obstacle often faced with gelatin as a raw material for making capsules is the solubility of this compound in water. Some of the gelatin in the capsule will be difficult to dissolve in water due to the cross-linking reaction. This cross-linking reaction can occur due to many factors, such as aldehyde compounds in capsule fillers, storage at high temperatures and humidity, etc. The different gelatin preparation will cause the structure and composition to vary so that the capsule's dissolution becomes uncontrolled
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