Acta Pharm. 67 (2017) 137-146
Short communication
Challenges relating
to comparison of flavonoid glycosides dissolution
profiles from Sutherlandia frutescens products
OLUCHI N
MBAMALU, JAMES SYCE and HALIMA SAMSODIEN
1 Discipline of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy,
University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville 7535, Cape Town,
South Africa
2 South African Herbal Sciences and Medicines Institute,
University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville 7535, Cape Town,
South Africa
3 Discipline of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy,
University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville 7535, Cape Town,
South Africa
Accepted August 3, 2016
Published online September
7, 2016
Unlike the case with conventional drug formulations, dissolution tests have hitherto not been required for herbal medicinal products commercially available in South Africa. This study investigated dissolution of the South African Sutherlandia frutescens using selected flavonoid glycosides as marker compounds. Dissolution of markers was assessed in three dissolution media at pH 1.2, 4.5 and 6.8, and samples analysed using a validated HPLC method. The dissolution profile of each marker varied from the different materials investigated. All three media utilized showed differences in flavonoid glycoside dissolution between the S. frutescens products assessed, with f2 values < 50 for comparison of flavonoid dissolution from any two of the materials. Dissolution of S. frutescens materials can thus be characterised using the markers in any of the media assessed. This tool may be employed in future for comparison of orally administered S. frutescens products, provided between-batch variability is evaluated and found less than between-sample variability.
Keywords: Sutherlandia frutescens,
herbal products, dissolution testing, flavonoid,
discriminatory medium, similarity factor