The Evaluation of Cellulose from Agricultural Waste as a Polymer for the Controlled Release of Ibuprofen Through the Formulation of Multilayer Tablets

This research demonstrates the potential of plant waste cellulose as a remarkable biomaterial for multilayer tablet formulation. Rice husks (RC) and orange peels (OC) were used as cellulose sources and characterized for a comparison with commercial cellulose. The FTIR characterization shows minimal differences in their chemical components, making them equivalent for compression into tablets containing ibuprofen. TGA measurements indicate that the RC is slightly better for multilayer formulations due to its favorable degradation profile. This is corroborated by an XRD analysis that reveals its higher crystalline fraction (~55%). The use of a heat press at combined high pressures and temperatures allows the layer-by-layer tablet formulation of ibuprofen, taken as a model drug. Additionally, this study compares the release profile of three types of tablets compressed with cellulose: mixed (MIX), two-layer (BL), and three-layer (TL). The MIX tablet shows a profile like that of conventional ibuprofen tablets. Although both BL and TL tablets significantly reduce their release percentage in the first hours, the TL ones have proven to be better in the long run. In fact, formulations made of extracted cellulose sandwiching ibuprofen display a zero-order release profile and prolonged release since the drug release amounts to ~70% after 120 h. This makes the TL formulations ideal for maintaining the therapeutic effect of the drug and improving patients’ wellbeing and compliance while reducing adverse effects.