Formulation and standardization of a health supplement food product with vegetable capsule HPMC containing herbals for supporting the treatment of liver diseases

In Vietnam, several herbal such as artichoke (Cynara scolymus), Phyllanthus (Phyllanthus amarus), Solanum procumbens, and Centella asiatica have been reported with benefit hepatoprotective effects and have been used in the prevention and treatment of liver diseases. The health sector is currently promoting the modernization of traditional medicine by researching the transformation of traditional herbal formulations into modern dosage forms such as tablets and capsules. This study aims to enhance convenience in usage and storage, as well as improve treatment effectiveness. In addition, the trend of using plant-based products is becoming increasingly popular and suitable for many users. Therefore, the research was conducted to formulation, produce and test product standards for HPMC vegetable capsules containing hepatoprotective herbal extracts. Four herbals such as Artichoke, Phyllanthus, Solanum procumbens, and Centella asiatica were extracted by hot extraction method, followed by filtration, evaporation, and spray-drying to result dry extracts.  The HPMC vegetable capsule formulation was developed using the dry blending method. Evaluation of quality HPMC vegetable capsule was tested for compliance with Vietnam Pharmacopoeia V's requirements for capsules and the Vietnamese Regulation QCVN 20-1:2024/BYT about the limits of contaminants in health supplement food product. The results of research successfully developed a formulation and preparation process for HPMC vegetable capsules containing four herbal extracts from spray-drying method Artichoke, Phyllanthus, Solanum procumbens, and Centella asiatica. The formulation consisted of 71.5% herbal dry extracts, 24% avicel, 1% talc, 1% magnesium stearate, and 0.5% aerosil), and 2% disolcel. The capsules conform the requirements for appearance, moisture content, disintegration time, uniformity of capsule weight, and identification. The capsule also complied with safety standards for contaminants, including microbial limits and heavy metals, in accordance with the regulatory requirements for health supplement food product. Conclusion: The research is formulated and standardization the HPMC vegetable capsule containing hepatoprotective herbal extracts Artichoke, Phyllanthus, Solanum procumbens, and Centella asiatica.