Influence of Chitosan Concentration on Characteristic of Microspheres Delivery System Prepared from Eleutherine palmifolia (L.) Merr. Extract

Background: Eleutherine palmifolia (L.) Merr. (E.palmifolia) is a medicinal plant containing naphthoquinone, isoliquiritigenin, and oxyresveratrol compound. This study aims to formulate and characterize the E. palmifolia microspheres delivery system using chitosan variation as the polymer. Methods: The preparation method was the solvent evaporation method. The microspheres delivery system was performed by variation of chitosan concentration in each formulation 0.637% (F1), 1.275% (F2), and 1.912% (F3). The physical and chemical characterizations include Entrapment Efficiency (EE), yield percentage, particle size, particle morphology, FTIR analysis, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis, and Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA) had been evaluated. Results: The results showed that chitosan concentration variation affected the microsphere's physical and chemical characteristics. Variations in the concentration of chitosan polymer (0.637%, 1.275% and 1.912%) had an effect on the physical characteristics of the microspheres of the resulting Dayak onion bulb extract. The higher the concentration of chitosan used, the higher the entrapment efficiency and the yield yield will increase. Meanwhile, in observing the particle size, the higher the concentration of chitosan used, the smaller the particle size produced. The optimal concentration of chitosan as a polymer at concentration variations of 0.637%, 1.275% and 1.912% to provide good physical characteristics of the Dayak onion bulb extract microspheres was shown in formula 3 with a chitosan concentration of 1.912%. Conclusion: The better characteristic was obtained upon higher chitosan concentration. The best physical characteristics of E.palmifolia extract microspheres were obtained from chitosan concentration at 1.912% (F3).