TAMARIND SEED POLYSACCHARIDE:-COLON SPECIFIC PROPERTIES

Tamarind seed polysaccharide (TSP) is a biodegradable polysaccharide extracted from Tamarind seeds (Tamarandus indica Linn. Family; Leguminosae) called as TSP has been found to have a wide application in pharmaceutical industry¹.

Chemistry:

A polymer consists of cellulose-type spine that carries xylose and galactoxylose substituents. The polysaccharide is composed of (1 - 4)-v-D-glucan backbone substituted with side chains of a-D-xylopyranose and b D-galactopyranosyl (1 -2)-a-D-xylopyranose linked (1 - 6) to glucose residues².

Physical properties *

• TSP appears in dark brownish color
• TSP exhibits unpleasant odor
• TSP is a high-molecular-weight
• It is insoluble in organic solvents
• It shows low solubility in cold water
• it is non-toxic and non-irritant with a haemostatic activity
• It possesses properties such as non-Newtonian rheological behaviour,

Uses

• As a Binder in both Wet granulation and Direct compression methods
• Colon Targeting
• Ocular targeting
• Mucoadhesive drug delivery for Ocular purposes
• Nasal drug delivery
• Emulsifier
• Sustaining agent
• Suspending agent
• Spheroids
• Hydrogels

COLON SPECIFIC PROPERTIES

Colon specific drug targeting is generally used to treat not only local diseases such as Ulcerative colitis, Intestinal Bowel Syndrome etc, but also helps in increasing the bioavailability of certain drugs and in timed controlled release as well.

Colon being the terminal part of the GI is a rich source of several micro organisms that degrade the polysaccharides present in the colonic contents.

Tamarind seed polysaccharide is useful for colon specific drug delivery because of following reasons²

• Biodegradable nature
• Hydrophilic nature
• Low swellability
• High viscosity
• Susceptible to the colonic bacterial enzymes

The use of TSP is limited because of various reasons includes³:

• Dull color
• Unpleasant odour
• Presence of water insolubles
• Fast biodegradability
• Low solubility in cold water

Various modifications has been developed to overcome the limitations of TSP, which includes⁴ *

• Carboxy methylation of TSP
• Acetylation of TSP
• Hydroxy alkylation of TSP

Budenoside is glucocorticoid used in the treatment of IBD; Interpolymer complexes were prepared by use of carboxymethylated TSP and the Chitosin for colon specific release5. Ibuprofen matrix tablets were prepared by use of TSP for colon specific drug delivery, the studies were revealed that the TSP was degraded in rat colonic bacterial content. So, it indicates that TSP can be used as carrier for colon specific drug delivery.

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References

1. Rao PS, Ghosh TP, Krishna S. Extraction and purification of Tamarind seed powder. J Sci Ind Res. 1946; 4: 705.

2. Shrivastava HC, Singh RP. Structure of polysaccharide from tamarind kernel. Carbohydr Res. 1967; 4: 326-42.

3. Kulkarni D. Dwivedi D. K., Sarin JP, Singh S. Tamarind seed polyose: A potential polysaccharide for sustained release of verapamil hydrochloride as a model drug. Indian J Pharm Sci. 1997; 59(1): 1-7.

4. Puja Goyal et.,al Carboxymethylation of Tamarind kernel powder Carbohydrate polymers 69(2007)251-255.

5. Srivatsava pranathi et.,al Preparation and evaluation of matrix based tablets using natural polymers as release modifiers Int.journal of pharmaceutical sciences 2010:2(1)411-417.