title: Multifaceted role of clay minerals in pharmaceuticals.
abstract: The desirable physical and physiochemical properties of clay minerals have led them to play a substantial role in pharmaceutical formulations. Clay minerals like kaolin, smectite and palygorskite-sepiolite are among the world's most valuable industrial minerals and of considerable importance. The elemental features of clay minerals which caused them to be used in pharmaceutical formulations are high specific area, sorption capacity, favorable rheological properties, chemical inertness, swelling capacity, reactivity to acids and inconsiderable toxicity. Of course, these are highly cost effectual. This special report on clay minerals provides a bird's eye view of the chemical composition and structure of these minerals and their influence on the release properties of active medicinal agents. Endeavor has been made to rope in myriad applications depicting the wide acceptability of these clay minerals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Drug Research, Punjabi University, Patiala 147002, India; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences & Drug Research, Punjabi University, Patiala 147002, India.
authors.forename: Inderpreet Singh
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Khurana
authors.affiliation: GHG Khalsa College of Pharmacy, Gurusar Sadhar 141104, District Ludhiana, India; GHG Khalsa College of Pharmacy, Gurusar Sadhar 141104, District Ludhiana, India.
authors.forename: Satvinder
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany, GHG Khalsa College, Gurusar Sadhar 141104, District Ludhiana, India; Department of Botany, GHG Khalsa College, Gurusar Sadhar 141104, District Ludhiana, India.
authors.forename: Harpreet
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.affiliation: University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India; University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India.
authors.forename: Rajneet Kaur
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Khurana
keywords: clay minerals; drug delivery; kaolinite; pharmaceuticals; phyllosilicates