Research on the technology for extracting pellet medicine from the roots of Saposhnikovia divaricata (Turcz) plant

Abstract

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease of the organ system, affecting reveal to the synovial membrane of numerous joints, loss of cartilage tissue and structure failure, impacting approximately 1% of the global population. Saposhnikovia divaricata, a medicinal plant widely employed in Oriental medicine, is renowned for its anti-inflammatory of the joint, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, suppresses tumor cells, and lowering blood glucose levels. In the present era, the ever-advancing techniques and technologies in drug production due to the introduction of novel pharmaceutical formulations into the industry, necessitate the utilization of native medicinal plants as primary raw materials for medicine. Moreover, the integration of modern medicine preparation technology into production processes is imperative due to the introduction of new medicinal forms. Aim: The advancement of technology in pelletizing raw plant materials for preparation of pellets has been a significant focus of development Materials and Methods: The principal active substances were assessed in comparison to standard substances, such as prim-O-glucosylcimifugin and 5-O-methylvisamminol, using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in accordance with the Chinese Pharmacopoeia-2010 method for recognized and quantified content. Results: The prim-O-glucosylcimifugin standard with ≥98% purity was consistently retained in an average of 5.624 minutes, while the 5-O-methylvisamminol standard with ≥98% purity was retained in an average of 13.131 minutes. The mean duration of exposure for the main active substances across all samples was 5.661 and 13.059 minutes, respectively. Subsequently, through a comparison of the chromatographic peak area of the analyzed solution with the standard solution, the results indicated 0.4-0.52% for prim-O-glucosylcimifugin and 0.29-0.43% for 5-O-methylvisamminol. During the investigation of plant raw material, chopped between 3mm and 0.3mm, and astringency analysis across five models, the highest amount of astringency, at 30.2%, was observed in the 0.5mm chopped raw material. A dense extract of 160 ml was obtained from 500 g of Saposhnikovia divaricata plant raw material, corresponding to 30.2% of the plant material. The ultrasonic maceration method proved suitable for liquid extract preparation from plant raw materials, achieving a sufÏcient level of substance yield to the solvent from the raw materials. Six experimental models were developed by combining concentrated extract and plant powder with appropriate auxiliary substances. The pelletizing technology mode was established by adjusting the blowing air force and rotation speed on the QZL-550 model pelletizing equipment. Models 1 and 5 exhibited good formability, models 3, 4, and 6 showed moderate formability, while model 2 exhibited no formability. For models 1 and 5, a total of 6 minutes of pelleting, starting with blowing air at 14 and rotating speed at 8, increasing by 2 units every 2 minutes, was deemed suitable, with approximately 85% of the total pellets measuring 0.5-2 mm in diameter. Models 3, 5, and 6, which contained lactose, formed an ideal shape when the rotation speed increased by 2 units every 2 minutes from 4, but 50% of the total mass formed pellets with a diameter of 2-3 mm, indicating moderate formation, while the model containing sorbitol did not form. Conclusions: In the exploration of the technology for extracting pellet forms from Saposhnikovia divaricata medicinal plants, we systematically investigated appropriate methods at each stage, ensuring that the raw materials used for the medicinal form extraction met quality standards. The use of lactose and microcrystalline cellulose in a 1:1 ratio as excipients for formulation proved to be convenient.