ABSTRACT

Cordia dichotoma, belonging to the family Boraginaceae, is a medium sized tree with a short, usually crooked trunk, which is found throughout India. C. dichotoma is beneficial in conditions of liver disease and inflammation. The present investigation was designed to develop a sustained release herbal matrix tablet containing C. dichotoma leaves extract for the treatment of liver disorders by exploiting the knowledge of the traditional system of medicine. Three herbal tablet formulations of methanolic extract of C. dichotoma were developed by the wet granulation method using the blend of hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymers like HPMC E-5, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, Poloxamer 188, and ethyl cellulose. The tablets were evaluated for physicochemical properties and in vitro release study followed by stability testing to assess its shelf life. In vitro hepatoprotective effect was also studied, which is based on protection of human liver-derived HepG2 cells against CCl₄ exposed toxicity. Physicochemical properties were found to be within limits. The percentage of drug release after 12 h was found to be 75.65, 79.75, and 82.49 for formulation F-1, F-2 and F-3, respectively. The proposed study demonstrates that developed herbal matrix tablet can serve as a successful sustained drug delivery system with the added benefit of no side effects for control and cure of chronic conditions of the liver.