Evaluation of Tablet Coating Efficiency Using Locally Sourced Shea Butter as a Hydrophobic Coating Agent

Shea butter, extracted from the nuts of Vitellaria paradoxa, is abundantly produced in Northern Nigeria and has a well-established history of use in cosmetics and traditional medicine. Its high content of stearic and oleic acids makes it a candidate hydrophobic agent for tablet film coating in pharmaceutical formulation. This study evaluated the performance of shea butter sourced from Sokoto State as a coating material for paracetamol tablets compared to a standard hydroxypropyl methylcellulose coating. Shea butter was characterised for fatty acid composition by gas chromatography, melting point, acid value, saponification value, and iodine value. Tablet coating was performed using a pan coating method with varying concentrations of shea butter dissolved in ethanol. Coated tablets were evaluated for film thickness, coating uniformity, moisture uptake, disintegration time, drug release, and appearance stability over four weeks under accelerated storage conditions. Shea butter at 8% w/v coating solution produced acceptable film uniformity with a significant reduction in moisture uptake compared to uncoated tablets. Disintegration times remained within pharmacopoeial limits, and drug release profiles showed no statistically significant difference from HPMC-coated controls. These findings demonstrate the potential of Nigerian shea butter as an affordable coating excipient for tablet manufacture. Keywords: shea butter, tablet coating, hydrophobic coating, Vitellaria paradoxa, Sokoto State.