Browsing by Author "Tembo, Sandra"

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    Biological and physicochemical characteristics of nanocellulose from sugarcane molasses
    (Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, 2021-03-17) Tembo, Sandra; Lingson, Pilirani
    Type of study/Place of study: The research design is an experimental method and will be conducted at the Pharmacy laboratories. Background and Introduction: Cellulose is the most abundant polymer on earth and is regarded as a very important raw material for several purposes. Potential applications include barrier films, antimicrobial films, biomedical implants, pharmaceuticals and drug delivery. By extracting cellulose at the nanoscale, the majority of the defects associated with the hierarchical structure of cellulose can be minimized, and a new cellulose based ‘‘building block’’ is available for the next generation of cellulose based composites. Therefore, this experimental study focusing on determining the suitability of nanocellulose extracted from sugarcane molasses as excipients in manufacturing pharmaceutical products. Study Objectives: The aim of the study is to investigate the biological and physicochemical characteristics of nanocellulose from sugarcane molasses. The specific objectives are three-fold: i) to determine the cytotoxicity of nanocellulose sugarcane molasses, ii) to assess the physical characteristics of nanocellulose from sugarcane molasses, iii) to evaluate chemical properties of nanocellulose of sugarcane molasses. Methodology: Sugarcane molasses will be collected from Nchalo Sugar Mill, followed by cellulose extraction by acid hydrolysis to obtain nanocellulose. The generated nanocellulose will be subjected to various biological and physicochemical standard assays in order to elucidate their suitability as excipients in pharmaceutical products. Data Management and Dissemination: The results will be presented to the College of Medicine (COM) staff and the pharmacy department and copies will be made available to the undergraduate research coordinators, College of Medicine Research and Ethics Committee (COMREC) and College of Medicine library. It is expected that the findings from this study will provide useful information for use of nanocellulose extracted from sugarcane molasses can be suitable excipients in manufacturing pharmaceutical products