Role of mucilage as pharmaceutical additives and cytoprotective agent

Abstract

Now a days, a large number of pharmaceutical excipients are obtained from natural sources. Mucilages and their derivatives are a group of polymers extensively used in pharmaceutical dosage forms. On one hand, it acts as pharmaceutical adjuvants and on the other hand, mucilages of different sources act as cytoprotective agents. It has been reported that mucilage helps in the treatment of gastric ulcer. It may act by forming a protective layer with increase in mucous secretion from the superficial epithelial cells against the ulcer inducer and thus the necrotizing agent is prevented from penetrating into the gastric mucosa. The present review discusses the expansive sources of mucilage, its versatile excipient property as tablet binders, disintegrating, emulsifying, suspending, gelling, stabilizing, thickening and film forming agents along with the cytoprotective nature of mucilage obtained from certain plants which adds an antiulcer property to its uses.