Carrageenan as an alternative Matrix of Drug Release Tablets
Budi Hastuti, Saptono Hadi and Khofidatul Husna

Department of Chemistry Education, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Sebelas Maret University

Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences,Universitas Sebelas Maret, Jl. Ir. Sutami 36A Surakarta, Indonesia

Abstract

Carrageenan is a natural polymer produced from seaweed. The purpose of this review article is to provide a literature review on carrageenan drug delivery matrices as an alternative to tablet matrix. The tablet matrix commonly used is cellulose ether group such as hydroxy propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), hydroxy propyl cellulose (HPC) and sodium carboxy methyl cellulose (Na CMC). This synthetic cellulose ether group is widely used because it has good swelling and compressibility properties. Carrageenan as a component of tablet matrix for drug delivery applications is quite potential because carrageenan has a large molecular weight and has high viscosity and ability to form gels. Thus carrageenan needs to be developed further in an effort to develop it as a tablet matrix, which of course requires a good knowledge of the physicochemical characteristics of carrageenan.

Keywords: carrageenan, matrix system, gel formation

Topic: Material and Applied Chemistry