Journal of Pharmaceutical Care & Health Systems
Open Access

Evaluation of the use of modified cocoa butter and shea butter as bases for metronidazole suppositories for children in tropical climate

4^th African Pharma Congress

June 20-21, 2016 Cape Town, South Africa

Akinnifesi T A, Oladimiji F A and Adegoke A

Adekunle Ajasin University, Nigeria
Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Pharma Care Health Sys

Abstract :

The rectal route for drug administration is becoming attractive to the drug formulators because it can avoid hepatic firstpass effects, decrease gastrointestinal side effects and avoid undesirable effects of meals and drug adsorption. In children, nausea and vomiting are some of the objectionable side effects resulting from oral administration of metronidazole. Therefore, there is the need for formulation of metronidazole as a suppository and as a way of circumventing the side effects associated with oral administration of drugs. There is paucity of information about the use of cocoa butter and shea butter as bases (natural products) for metronidazole suppositories. This study, therefore, formulates and evaluates metronidazole suppositories and improves the hydrophilicity of the bases (cocoa butter and shea butter) by surfactants (Tween 20) in order to optimize the drug released from them. The interacting effect of formulation variables on the physicochemical properties of the drug vis-a-vis the release of metronidazole from the suppositories was controlled through modification of the bases (by softening) in order to make them suitable as metronidazole suppository bases for children in tropical climate. The cocoa butter and shea butter were modified according to the method of Mital and Dove (1971). Among the physicochemical parameters, maximum absorption and wavelength of the �»max were determined by UV spectrometer in the range of 200-400 nm and colour identification by British Pharmacopoeia (BP) (1988). The melting point was determined by modified method of Adedayo (1985); hardness by using Monsato hardness tester; degradation time by method similar to BP (1988). The kinetics of metronidazole release was also determined with first order mode. Factorial experimental design and data analysis were carried out to determine whether there were interactions between the two variables. The results indicate that there were high level of significances at 5% confidence interval and that cocoa butter releases the drug from the suppository more and faster than shea butter.

Biography :

Email: takinnifesi@ymail.com