Beyond the flavor: A green formulation of Ferula asafoetida oleo-gum-resin with fenugreek dietary fibre and its gut health potential

• Main Authors: Liju Vijayasteltar, I.J. Jismy, Ashil Joseph, Balu Maliakel, Ramadasan Kuttan, Krishnakumar I.M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2017-01-01
• Series: Toxicology Reports
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214750017300434

Albeit the fact that asafotida is a popular kitchen spice and Indian folklore medicine for gut disorders, its consumption at physiologically relevant dosage is greatly challenged by the unpleasant flavor characteristics. Herein we report a green approach to derive stable powder formulations of asafoetida gum with minimized taste and odor suitable for dietary applications and gut health-related disorders. Employing a water based ultrasound mediated gel-phase dispersion of asafoetida gum on fenugreek derived soluble galactomannan fibre matrix. Microencapsulated particles (1 ± 0.3 μm) of asafoetida was prepared as water dispersible free flowing powder (Asafin). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), accelerated stability and in vitro dissolution studies confirmed the stability, sustained release and microencapsulated structure of Asafin. Further investigations revealed significant (p < 0.01) reduction in acetic acid-induced writings and inhibition of ethanol-induced ulcer (94.1%) in rats orally administered with Asafin at 250 mg kgâ1 b.w. Asafin also exhibited anti-inflammatory effects (p < 0.01), in acute and chronic paw edema mice models. The safety of Asafin was further demonstrated by acute toxicity studies at 4 g kgâ1  b.w. and by 28 days of sub-acute toxicity studies at 2.0 g kgâ1 b.w. Keywords: Ferula asafoetida, Green formulation, Oral delivery, Gastroprotective, Ethanol-induced ulcer, Gut health