Comparative Characterization of Processed and Unprocessed Raphia vinifera Gum as a Potential Pharmaceutical Excipient

Background: The pharmaceutical industry is increasingly relying on natural, plant-derived gums due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and versatility. Raphia vinifera gum, a natural polysaccharide, has potential as a pharmaceutical excipient. Objective: To derive both unprocessed/processed gum powders from the cut stem of the Raphia vinifera plant and to characterize/standardize the powders. Methods: The derived powders were evaluated for their physicochemical properties, phytochemical screening, elemental composition, microbial profiling, and acute toxicity test determinations using standard methods. Results: The physicochemical properties results revealed that the processed powder had better properties than the unprocessed powder and comparable to acacia, phytochemical screening revealed the two gum powders to be plant gums, elemental compositions revealed the presence of carbon, nitrogen, potassium, calcium in the two gum powders, microbial profile revealed TVC of 15.0± 1.38 cfu/g and 7.0± 1.64 cfu/g for both unprocessed and processed gum powders while the acute toxicity test showed no signs of toxicity at any of the administered doses. Conclusion: Processed gum powder exhibited superior characteristics compared to unprocessed gum powder, making it a more suitable pharmaceutical excipient.