Physicochemical characterization of banana pseudostem, peduncle, and leaf-derived microcrystalline cellulose as directly compressible excipients.

Wood is the most common source of cellulose, but overexploitation and deforestation have led to a need for alternative sources. Banana plant biomass provides a sustainable alternative to wood-based cellulose. This study explored the extraction and characterization of cellulose and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) from Musa × paradisiaca L. plant leaves, pseudostems, and peduncles and evaluated their potential as pharmaceutical excipients. A chlorine-free extraction process was used for cellulose extraction, and MCC was obtained through acid hydrolysis. The extracted materials were characterized via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The FTIR analysis indicated the removal of noncellulosic impurities, whereas SEM revealed microfibrillated structures for cellulose and rod-like shapes for MCC. All the samples exhibited thermal stability. Banana leaf microcrystalline cellulose (BL-MCC), banana pseudostem microcrystalline cellulose (BS-MCC), banana peduncle microcrystalline cellulose (BP-MCC), and Avicel PH-101 had crystallinity indices of 77%, 84%, 83%, and 85%, respectively, and degree of polymerization (DP) values of 270, 265, 255, and 240, respectively. The yields of cellulose from BL, BS, and BP were 23.1 ± 1.41%, 37.33 ± 1.4%, and 45 ± 0.8%, respectively, and those of MCC were 77.5 ± 0.4%, 85 ± 0.7%, and 87.3 ± 0.5%, respectively. The formulated tablets were evaluated for uniformity of weight, hardness, friability, disintegration time, and dissolution rate, and exhibited acceptable physical and mechanical properties. These findings suggest that the MCC from banana biomass shows potential for successful use in tablet formulations and thereby serve as an alternative source for the production of pharmaceutical excipients.