Excipient properties of alkalized Manihot esculenta peel

The pharmaceutical industry has grown with the inventions of diverse drug formulations to counter the ever-changing health challenges. Equally, this has hiked research on biocompatible excipients with formulated active pharmaceutical ingredients that are sustainably producible. This study modified cassava peels by alkalization using NaOH and holistically evaluated them as potential excipients. The peels were treated with 1 %, 2 %, and 4 % at 50 °C, named as PTCP1, PTCP2, and PTCP4 respectively with the pristine peels being the control. The Hausner ratios and Carr index for PTCP4, PTCP2, PTCP1 were 1.18, 1.23, 1.36, and 15.15, 18.75, 26.67, respectively. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed the introduction of the OH group in PTCP1 which enhances swelling and disintegration properties, making it suitable for immediate-release formulations. PTCP2 spectrum showed a more pronounced carboxylate peak which further intensified in PTCP4 due to hemicellulose and lignin degradation. SEM micrographs revealed that alkalisation enhances the roughness and porosity of the peels due to the suppression of starch granules. The XRD spectra showed that PTCP1 retained some degree of crystallinity, whereas PTCP2 showed significant peak suppression, and PTCP4 exhibited the most amorphous characteristics with diffuse and low-intensity peaks. The amorphous nature of NaOH-treated cassava peels enhances their swelling ability and water absorption plus the drug-loading potential due to improved porosity.