A REVIEW ON MORINGA OLIFERA EFFERVESCENT TABLET FOR ANTIANEMIC ACTIVITY

Researchers developed an effervescent tablet made from Moringa oleifera leaf extract, aiming to create a drinkable, functional supplement that could support antianemic and antioxidant activity. An effervescent tablet dissolves in water to produce a fizzy drink — a format designed to improve palatability and absorption compared to standard capsules or powders. The team used a formulation technique called D-optimal mix design to find the best ratio of two fizzing agents — citric acid and sodium bicarbonate — that would produce a stable, acceptable tablet. Three formulations (F1, F2, F3) were tested, varying only in the ratio of these two agents. The moringa extract used in the tablets showed antioxidant activity, measured by an IC50 value of 320µg/ml — a standard laboratory measure of how much of a substance is needed to neutralise half of a given batch of free radicals. Formulation F3 emerged as the most acceptable to testers in terms of taste, texture, colour, and smell, though all three formulations retained a noticeably bitter taste from the tannins and phenolic compounds in the moringa extract. Adding lemon or strawberry flavouring failed to mask this bitterness. The paper also reviews broader published evidence on moringa leaf extracts, noting demonstrated antidiabetic and cholesterol-lowering effects in human studies, alongside a wide range of protective biological activities seen in laboratory and animal research. The authors conclude that this represents the first moringa effervescent tablet produced via wet granulation, and that standardisation of moringa products remains an ongoing challenge for the field.