Influence of diluents and binders on the yield, friability, and flowability of alpinia galanga extract granules

• Main Authors: Prakatthagomol W., Yotsawimonwat S., Okonogi S.
• Format: Article
• Published: Chiang Mai University 2015
• Subjects: Multidisciplinary
• Online Access: http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=84872234702&origin=inward; http://cmuir.cmu.ac.th/handle/6653943832/38532
• Institution: Chiang Mai University

A public increasingly wary of the use of antibiotic growth promoters in animal husbandry, and growing bans on their use, has led to an increased interest in alternative means of drug replacement using plant extracts. Alpinia galanga extract is one such alternative because of its several beneficial effects for promoting animal growth. However, A. galanga extracts prepared from maceration of the plant rhizomes are sticky, semisolid, unable to flow, and difficult to mix with other feed substances. These physical characteristics, as well as its pungent odor, make it difficult to use the extract "as is" as a feed supplement. This study aims to examine the potential of certain diluents and binders commonly used as excipients in granule preparation for improving the characteristics-yield, friability, and flowability-of the A. galanga extract. The results showed that the type and concentration of diluent and binder affected the friability and flowability as well as yield of the A. galanga extract granules. Of the three diluents used in this study, tapioca was found to be the most suitable diluent for producing A. galanga extract granules. The use of a binder in granule production, particularly starch paste, decreased granule friability and increased the yield. Furthermore, using a combination binder ñ starch paste with either polyvinyl pyrrolidone or gelatin, significantly increased the desirable characteristics of the granules over the single binder. Starch paste and polyvinyl pyrrolidone potentiated A. galangal extract granules with the highest flowability, whereas starch paste and gelatin provided the granules with the least friability and the highest yield.