Control release effects of binders used in pills of traditional Chinese medicine herbs

This research investigated the effects of control release of binders that are used in the pills of Chinese herbal medicine, namely, as processed honey, starch paste, beeswax, or mixtures thereof. Aspirin and baicalin were used as the active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). The processed honey was heated to 110°C, 120°C, or 130°C. In these pills, the binders were the only excipients. The pills were prepared by the stir method using a mixer at 80°C without pressure. The differential thermal analysis (DTA) showed that the melting points of aspirin and baicalin were changed by the binders. The Fourier Transform infrared spectra (FT-IR) of aspirin and baicalin suggest that there are different non-covalent molecular interactions between the API and the binders, such as C-H-π and hydrogen bond interaction. The dissolution profiles indicate that changing the ratio of the binders altered the patterns of dissolution of the API; thus, this ration may be used to control the release of API from the pills.