FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF A MULTI NUTRITIONAL HERBAL DRUG FOR NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE (NAFLD)

In this project, we focused on the formulation and evaluation of a nutraceutical capsule for the management of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), also known as Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD). NAFLD is a rapidly increasing liver disorder associated with obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, and unhealthy lifestyle habits. Due to the lack of a specific approved pharmacological treatment for NAFLD, we aimed to develop a safer and effective nutraceutical formulation using natural bioactive compounds. For this study, we selected Berberine and Curcumin as active pharmaceutical ingredients because of their hepatoprotective, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and lipid-lowering properties. Berberine is known to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce hepatic lipid accumulation, while curcumin helps in reducing oxidative stress and inflammation in liver tissues. The combination of these two compounds was expected to provide synergistic therapeutic benefits in NAFLD management. The nutraceutical capsules were formulated using suitable excipients and evaluated for various preformulation and postformulation parameters including organoleptic properties, flow properties, weight variation, disintegration time, and drug content. UV-visible spectrophotometry was performed for analytical estimation of berberine and curcumin using standard calibration curves at their respective wavelengths. From the evaluation studies, we observed that the formulated capsules exhibited satisfactory pharmaceutical characteristics and may help in improving liver health by reducing oxidative stress, inflammation, and lipid accumulation. Therefore, the developed nutraceutical capsule formulation may serve as a promising supportive therapeutic approach for the management of NAFLD.