PENGEMBANGAN EKSTRAK BILBERI (Vaccinium myrtillus) TERSTANDARISASI MENJADI GRANUL EFERVESEN SEBAGAI SUPLEMEN ANTIOKSIDAN

Abstract

Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) is rich in anthocyanins and is commonly marketed in liquid dosage forms; however, these preparations often exhibit limited physical and chemical stability. To improve stability, the development of an effervescent granule formulation is proposed. This study aimed to optimize an effervescent granule formulation containing bilberry extract (GE-EB) based on moisture content, flow rate, effervescent dissolution time, and antioxidant activity. Bilberry dry extract was produced by percolation using water as the solvent, then subjected to spray drying and subsequent standardization. Effervescent granules containing 160 mg of bilberry extract per sachet were prepared using the wet granulation method. The proportions of citric acid and tartaric acid critically affect effervescent reaction kinetics, particle hydration, dissolution time, hardness, and stability. Therefore, their ratio was optimized using a factorial design, with citric acid monohydrate (8–12%) as factor A and tartaric acid (16–24%) as factor B. The evaluated responses included moisture content, flow rate, and dissolution time. Physical quality assessments comprised organoleptic properties, pH, moisture content, flow characteristics, and dissolution time. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using the DPPH method and expressed as IC?? values obtained with a microplate reader. Statistical analysis was conducted using one-way ANOVA (Yates treatment), followed by Tukey’s post hoc test. The GE-EB formulations demonstrated acceptable physical characteristics, with pH values of 5.59–6.65, moisture content of 2.66–2.99%, flow rate of 5.35–5.54 g/s, angle of repose of 27.49°–27.67°, Hausner ratio of 1.13–1.16, Carr’s index of 12.10–14.20%, and dissolution time of 1.34–2.54 minutes. Citric acid monohydrate, tartaric acid, and their interaction significantly affected all evaluated responses. Citric acid monohydrate, tartaric acid, and their interaction had a significant effect on all evaluated responses. The optimal formulation contained 10.27% citric acid monohydrate and 16.93% tartaric acid, resulting in granules with a moisture content of 2.81%, a flow rate of 5.51 g/s, and a dissolution time of 1.5 minutes. This formulation demonstrated strong antioxidant activity, with an IC?? value of 161.74 ± 0.97 ?g/mL.