- 1
- Pharmaceutical
Sciences Research Center and Department of Traditional Pharmacy
(Phytopharmaceuticals), School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical
Sciences, Shiraz, Iran / Department of Traditional Pharmacy, School of
Traditional Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran,
Iran / Research Office for the History of Persian Medicine, Shiraz
University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
- 2
- Pharmaceutical
Sciences Research Center and Department of Traditional Pharmacy
(Phytopharmaceuticals), School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical
Sciences, Shiraz, Iran / Department of Pharmaceutics, School of
Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
- 3
- Department of Traditional Medicine, School of Traditional Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- 4
- Research
Office for the History of Persian Medicine, Shiraz University of
Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran / Department of Pharmaceutics, School of
Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Abstract
The
Ergh-al-Nassa pill (Hab) is a traditional combination suggested as one
of the most effective preparations useful for treatment of sciatica.
Although traditional preparations can be applied as new therapeutic
drugs for investigations and clinical trials, they need to be
reformulated to achieve pharmacopoeial standards for modern medicine. In
this research, based on seven traditional Persian pharmacopeias for
Ergh-al-NassaHab, nine different molded tablets were reformulated. Each
formulation comprised the same amount of colchicum,
ginger, aloe and yellow myrobalan fruit. Sweet almond oil had to be
added in the maximum amount needed to be absorbed by the yellow
myrobalan fruit according to its particle size (30-40 mesh sizes). The
studies were performed in order to optimize the formulation process
according to the role of three levels in particle size of the herbal
ingredients (60-70, 80-100, 100-150 mesh sizes) and three levels of
initial water for granulation. The molded tablets were evaluated
according to standard quality controls for tablets (mass uniformity,
LOD, hardness, friability, and disintegration time at 20 and 30 min).
Myrobalan powdered to 30-40 mesh size absorbed the maximum amount of
sweet almond oil (1:0.75 w/v). The best formulations occurred when the
particle size of colchicum,
ginger, and aloe was 60-70 mesh size with an initial moisture content
of 0.47 ml per 1g of dried powder. The outcome of this research is a
pharmaceutical standardized formulation from the traditional
Ergh-al-Nassa pill which can be suggested as a sample drug discovery
based on traditional knowledge.
