The effect of the swelling capacity of disintegrants on the in vitro and in vivo availability of diazepam tablets,containing magnesium stearate as a lubricant

The disintegration and dissolution rate of diazepam tablets, containing the slightly swelling disintegrant, potato starch, depend on mixing time of the drug/excipient preblend with the lubricant magnesium stearate. During the mixing process, a hydrophobic lubricant film is formed on the excipient particles, which decreases the penetration of water into the tablet, and as a result, increases the disintegration time.On the other hand, disintegration and drug dissolution rate of tablets with the strongly swelling disintegrant sodium starch glycolate, are hardly affected by mixing with magnesium stearate. The difference in effect of the lubricant on the disintegrants is explained by the difference in swelling capacity of the disintegrants.The dissolution rate of tablets with potato starch strongly depends on both the dissolution model (i.e. USP XX basket-model and paddle-model) and stirring rate (i.e. 50 or 100 rpm.). For tablets with the strongly swelling sodium starch glycolate the dissolution rate is less affected by the dissolution method. The discrimination between the tablets is best using a method with mild hydrodynamic conditions.The bioavailability of diazepam from these tablets was studied in human volunteers. Significant differences in absorption parameters were found. However, the influence of the swelling capacity of the disintegrant and the mixing time on absorption rate is less pronounced than was expected from the in vitro dissolution tests.A correlation of in vitro dissolution and in vivo absorption has been found for the model with a relatively high stirring rate, which is less discriminating in vitro.     

Drug-excipient interactions resulting from powder mixing. III: Solid state properties and their effect on drug dissolution

Micronized prednisone was used to study the effect of powder mixing on drug-excipient interactions and their effect on in vitro dissolution from uncompacted, hand-filled capsules. Two powder formulations contained CaHPO4 X 2H2O (dibasic calcium phosphate dihydrate) as a filler and potato starch or sodium starch glycolate as a disintegrant. The third powder formulation contained pregelatinized starch as a disintegrant/filler. The lubricant in these formulations was magnesium stearate. When drug, CaHPO4 X 2H2O, and the disintegrant were thoroughly mixed and hand filled into capsules without compaction, only approximately 70% of the drug dissolved in 30 min. The incomplete dissolution of the drug was caused by the formation of agglomerates and the inclusion of the drug particles by these agglomerates. In contrast, when a mixture of drug and pregelatinized starch was used, complete dissolution of the drug was achieved after 30 min due to the absence of agglomeration and inclusion. Prolonged mixing of the formulation containing CaHPO4 X 2H2O with magnesium stearate resulted in a decrease in the dissolution rate. The total amount of the drug dissolved at the end of 30 min was reduced from 70 to 20%. The decrease in the rate of drug dissolution resulted from drug-excipient interactions which caused flaking of the magnesium stearate particles. The adhesion of these flakes to the drug particles and drug-excipient agglomerates resulted in hydrophobic coating which reduced water penetration. The rate of drug dissolution was not affected when drug and pregelatinized starch were mixed with magnesium stearate for a prolonged time due to the absence of magnesium stearate flaking and film formation.     

Multiple sources of sodium starch glycolate,NF: evaluation of functional equivalence and development of standard performance tests

Sodium starch glycolate is a commonly used super-disintegrant employed to promote rapid disintegration and dissolution of IR solid dosage forms. It is manufactured by chemical modification of starch, i.e., carboxymethylation to enhance hydrophilicity and cross-linking to reduce solubility. It has been reported in the literature that the source of starch, particle size, amount of sodium chloride (reaction by-product), viscosity, degree of substitution and cross-linking affect the functionality of sodium starch glycolate. Compendial assays provide an accurate representation of the chemical quality of an excipient, but they are not useful in describing the physical properties associated with the excipients. Physical characterization of sodium starch glycolate, NF revealed differences in particle size, surface area, porosity, surface morphology, and viscosity between two of the three sources examined. An automated liquid uptake test (in neutral and acidic medium) demonstrated similar initial rates of uptake, however, the extent of liquid uptake differed for the disintegrant powders examined. Settling volume was also observed to be different for the disintegrant from two sources. Lowering the pH of the medium reduced the rate and extent of liquid uptake and the settling volume in all instances. The extent of liquid uptake and settling volume was observed to be higher for the smaller sieve fractions in either medium, Although differences were also observed in the axial and radial disintegration force measurements of the pure disintegrant compacts, disintegration and dissolution of a model drug (hydrochlorothiazide) from either the soluble or insoluble core did not reveal any significant differences between the multiple sources.     

Multiple Sources of Sodium Starch Glycolate,NF: Evaluation of Functional Equivalence and Development of Standard Performance Tests

Sodium starch glycolate is a commonly used super-disintegrant employed to promote rapid disintegration and dissolution of IR solid dosage forms. It is manufactured by chemical modification of starch, i.e., carboxymethylation to enhance hydrophilicity and cross-linking to reduce solubility. It has been reported in the literature that the source of starch, particle size, amount of sodium chloride (reaction by-product), viscosity, degree of substitution and cross-linking affect the functionality of sodium starch glycolate. Compendial assays provide an accurate representation of the chemical quality of an excipient, but they are not useful in describing the physical properties associated with the excipients. Physical characterization of sodium starch glycolate, NF revealed differences in particle size, surface area, porosity, surface morphology, and viscosity between two of the three sources examined. An automated liquid uptake test (in neutral and acidic medium) demonstrated similar initial rates of uptake, however, the extent of liquid uptake differed for the disintegrant powders examined. Settling volume was also observed to be different for the disintegrant from two sources. Lowering the pH of the medium reduced the rate and extent of liquid uptake and the settling volume in all instances. The extent of liquid uptake and settling volume was observed to be higher for the smaller sieve fractions in either medium. Although differences were also observed in the axial and radial disintegration force measurements of the pure disintegrant compacts, disintegration and dissolution of a model drug (hydrochlorothiazide) from either the soluble or insoluble core did not reveal any significant differences between the multiple sources.     

Effect of molecular structure variation on the disintegrant action of sodium starch glycolate

The effect of variation in the degree of cross-linkage and extent of carboxymethylation on the disintegration and dissolution properties of sodium starch glycolate has been examined. Samples of sodium starch glycolate were evaluated for particle size distributions and bulk and tapped densities. The bulk powders were also tested for sedimentation volumes, water uptake, and bulk swelling. Direct compression formulations containing aspirin and hydrochlorothiazide and varying concentrations of the modified starches were tableted on a rotary tablet press and evaluated for weight variation, hardness, disintegration, and dissolution. The results indicate that relatively small changes in molecular structure can cause substantial modification of disintegrant properties and suggest that the specifications for one commercially available sodium starch glycolate are within optimal specifications for both cross-linkage and degree of substitution.     

Evaluation of physico-mechanical properties of drug-excipients agglomerates obtained by crystallization

Spherical crystallization (SC) of carbamazepine (CBZ) was carried out for preparation of the agglomerates using the solvent change method. The potential of the intraagglomerate addition of sodium starch glycolate (SSG) as a disintegrant agent and povidone (PVP) as a hydrophilic polymer was also evaluated. The process of SC involved recrystallization of CBZ and its simultaneous agglomeration with additives. An ethanol:isopropyl acetate:water system was used where isopropyl acetate acted as a bridging liquid and ethanol and water as good and bad solvents, respectively. The agglomerates were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), powder X-ray diffraction (XRPD), and Scanning electron microscopy and were evaluated for yield, flowability, disintegration time and drug release. CBZ agglomerates exhibited significantly improved micromeritic properties as well as dissolution behavior in comparison to conventional drug crystals. The dissolution rate of drug from agglomerates was enhanced by inclusion of SSG, while addition of PVP to CBZ/SSG agglomerates led to reduction in the release rate of CBZ even below that of the conventional drug crystals. SC process can be considered as a suitable alternative to conventional granulation process to obtain agglomerates of CBZ with excipients with improved micromeritic properties and modified dissolution rate.     

An easy-to-use approach for determining the disintegration ability of disintegrants by analysis of available surface area

With the aim of directly predicting the functionality and mechanism of disintegrants during the disintegration and dissolution of tablets, we investigated an analysis method based on available surface area, which is the surface area of a drug in a formulation in direct contact with the external solvent during dissolution. We evaluated the following disintegrants in this study: sodium starch glycolate (Glycolys), crospovidone (Kollidon CL), carboxymethylcellulose calcium (CMC-Ca), low-substituted hydroxypropylcellulose (L-HPC), and croscarmellose sodium (Ac-Di-Sol). When disintegrant was added to a 50% ethenzamide tablet formulation, an increase in the dissolution rate dependent on disintegrant concentration was observed, according to the type of disintegrant. In addition, the available surface area also differed between disintegrants. For Glycolys, CMC-Ca, and Ac-Di-Sol, a rapid increase in available surface area and a large increase in maximum available surface area (S_max) were observed due to high swellability and wicking, even when the disintegrant concentration was only 1.0%. In contrast, for Kollidon CL and LH-21, a gradual increase in available surface area was observed, depending on the disintegrant concentration. To evaluate the disintegrant ability, Δt_max and ΔS_max were calculated by subtracting peak time (t_max) at 5.0% from that at 1.0% and subtracting S_max at 1.0% from that at 5.0%, respectively, and it was found that the water absorption ratio had strong negative correlations with Δt_max and ΔS_max. Therefore, this study demonstrates that analysis of only available surface area and parameters thereby obtained can directly provide useful information, especially about the disintegration ability of disintegrants.     

Enhancement of the dissolution rate of a poorly water-soluble drug (tolbutamide) by a spray-drying solvent deposition method and disintegrants

The dissolution rate of a poorly water-soluble drug, tolbutamide, was improved by spray-drying a diluted ammonia solution of the drug containing either a low-substituted hydroxypropylcellulose (L-HPC) or partly pregelatinized corn starch (PCS) as disintegrants. With L-HPC the resultant particles were agglomerates of disintegrant with drug on the surface and within the particles, while particles formed with PCS were composed of a single core of PCS on which the drug was deposited. The deposited drug crystals were very fine because the rapid solvent evaporation restricted crystal growth. The spray-dried particles prepared with PCS had a structure similar to that of an ordered mix. The drug dissolution rate from the spray-dried particles was more rapid than that of the powdered drug alone or with disintegrant and could be attributed to separation of the layer of fine drug crystals from the surface of the particles by swelling of disintegrant. PCS enhanced the drug dissolution rate compared with systems using corn starch. The dissolution rate also depended on the drug content of the particles which was higher than that in ordered mixtures or conventional solvent deposition systems. This system described also had the advantage of avoiding the use of organic solvents.     

An oral controlled release matrix pellet formulation containing nanocrystalline ketoprofen

A controlled release pellet formulation using a NanoCrystal colloidal dispersion of ketoprofen was developed. In order to be able to process the aqueous NanoCrystal colloidal dispersion into a hydrophobic solid dosage form a spray drying procedure was used. The in vitro dissolution profiles of wax based pellets loaded with nanocrystalline ketoprofen are compared with the profiles of wax based pellets loaded with microcrystalline ketoprofen and of a commercial sustained release ketoprofen formulation. Pellets were produced using a melt pelletisation technique. All pellet formulations were composed of a mixture of microcrystalline wax and starch derivatives. The starch derivatives used were waxy maltodextrin and drum dried corn starch. Varying the concentration of drum dried corn starch increased the release rate of ketoprofen but the ketoprofen recovery remained problematic. To increase the dissolution yield surfactants were utilised. The surfactants were either added during the production process of the NanoCrystal colloidal dispersion (sodium laurylsulphate) or during the pellet manufacturing process (Cremophor RH 40). Both methods resulted in a sustained but complete release of nanocrystalline ketoprofen from the matrix pellet formulations.     

Effect of pharmacotechnical design on the in vitro interaction of ketoconazole tablets with non-systemic antacids

In certain polytherapy programs, ketoconazole can be administered with some antacids that could modify its dissolution rate and reduce its absorption leading to therapeutic failures. The aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of some excipients on this interaction in vitro. In this way, six formulations of directly compressible ketoconazole tablets were developed. The results confirmed that the dissolution rate of ketoconazole tablets was significantly reduced in the presence of antacids. Nevertheless this interaction was remarkably avoided in some of the formulations checked and in some conditions. In this way, the inclusion of a disintegrant (sodium starch glycolate) not only increased the dissolution rate of ketoconazole in the tablets, as expected, but it also modified the degree in which the dissolution rate was decreased in the presence of antacids. It was proved that a suitable selection of the excipients and therefore the modification in the rate in which the drug was released, could play an important role to modify a pharmacokinetic interaction based on a reduction of the solubility of the drug as a function of the pH value of the medium.     

Effect of formulation solubility and hygroscopicity on disintegrant efficiency in tablets prepared by wet granulation, in terms of dissolution

The effect of tablet formulation solubility and hygroscopicity on the dissolution efficiency of three "super disintegrants" (sodium starch glycolate, crospovidone, and croscarmellose sodium) in tablets prepared by wet granulation was investigated. Lactose, calcium phosphate dibasic, sorbitol, and naproxen sodium, alone or in combination, provided varying degrees of solubility and hygroscopicity in the formulations. To monitor in vitro dissolution, 1% p-aminobenzoic acid was added to the formulation as a tracer. The results indicate that highly soluble and/or hygroscopic ingredients decrease the effectiveness of super disintegrants in promoting in vitro dissolution. The greater the overall hygroscopicity and solubility of the tablet formulation, the larger the decrease in the efficiency of the super disintegrant.     

Liquisolid Tablets for Dissolution Enhancement of a Hypolipidemic Drug

This investigation was aimed to improve the dissolution rate of the poorly soluble drug lovastatin, by formulating it as a liquisolid compact. Different liquisolid compacts were prepared using mathematical formulae to calculate the required quantities of powder and liquid ingredients to produce acceptably flowable and compressible admixture. Avicel PH 200, Cab-O-Sil, sodium starch glycolate and PEG 400 were employed as carrier, coating material, disintegrant and non-volatile liquid vehicle, respectively. The various drug to liquid and carrier to coating ratio were used to prepare liquisolid compacts. The formulated liquisolid tablets were evaluated for weight variation, hardness, drug content, friability and disintegration time. The in vitro release characteristics of the drug from tablets formulated by direct compression and liquisolid technique were compared in two different dissolution media. The tableting properties of the liquisolid compacts were within the acceptable limits and drug release rates were distinctly higher as compared to directly compressed tablets. The FTIR spectra showed no interaction between drug-excipient and disappearance of the characteristic absorption band of lovastatin in liquisolid formulations could be attributed to the formation of hydrogen bonding between the drug and liquid vehicle, which resulted in dissolution enhancement. Thus, the liquisolid technique was found to be a promising approach for improving the dissolution of a poorly soluble drug like lovastatin.     

Effect of Mode of Incorporation of Disintegrants on the Characteristics of Fluid-bed Wet-granulated Tablets

Abstract— A full factorial experimental design was employed to investigate the effects of mode of disintegrant incorporation and concentration in wet-granulated paracetamol tablets manufactured by topspray fluid-bed. Disintegrants (croscarmellose sodium, sodium starch glycolate, or crospovidone) were incorporated either intragranularly, extragranularly, or distributed equally between the two phases. The results were analysed by a general quadratic equation and response surfaces generated. On examining the results for dissolution studies the combined mode resulted in significantly faster dissolution rates than did the extragranular mode which, in turn, was superior to the intragranular mode of inclusion. These results were reflected in the disintegration studies where the combined mode exhibited the shortest disintegration times for all the disintegrants. Tablet crushing strength was not affected by the mode of incorporation of concentration of the disintegrants. Main as well as interaction effects between the types, mode of incorporation and percent disintegrant employed were significant (P < 0·05) for disintegration time and percent release at 15 min. Croscarmellose sodium exhibited the shortest while crospovidone displayed significantly (P < 0·05) longer disintegration times. Formulations containing crospovidone did not meet official compendial (USP XXII) requirements of 80% in 30 min. In general, croscarmellose sodium and sodium starch glycolate were found to be less sensitive to the mode of incorporation than crospovidone.     

Influence of disintegrant type and proportion on the properties of tablets produced from mixtures of pellets

The influence of the composition and properties of pellets on the properties of the tablets prepared from their mixtures has been evaluated. Three types of pellets were prepared, (a) those containing a model drug readily identifiable by colour, to evaluate tablet consistency; (b) those containing a deformable material, glyceryl monostearate, to provide pressure absorbing and binding properties, and (c) those containing an inorganic disintegrating agent. Tablets from various mixtures of these pellets, in a statistical designed manner, were prepared at a known compression force and their weight uniformity, friability, diametral breaking load and disintegration times were measured. The uniformity of composition of selected tablets was also determined. Analysis of variance established that the disintegrant type, the proportion of drug pellets and the proportion of disintegrant pellets influenced the breaking load and the disintegration time of the tablets. The proportion of drug and disintegrant pellets influenced the tablet friability whereas the type of disintegrant did not. Canonical analysis failed to establish an exact relationship between pellet properties and tablet properties. However some conclusions can be drawn from this analysis. First, an increase in either the amount of drug pellets or disintegrant pellets decreases the tablet breaking load, and the disintegration times are reduced. Secondly, disintegration times are increased with disintegrants of a high density. Thirdly, larger amounts of drug and disintegrant pellets increase the tablet friability.     

Development of Fast Dispersible Aceclofenac Tablets: Effect of Functionality of Superdisintegrants

Aceclofenac, a non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug, is used for posttraumatic pain and rheumatoid arthritis. Aceclofenac fast-dispersible tablets have been prepared by direct compression method. Effect of superdisintegrants (such as, croscarmellose sodium, sodium starch glycolate and crospovidone) on wetting time, disintegration time, drug content, in vitro release and stability parameters has been studied. Disintegration time and dissolution parameters (t_50% and t_80%) decreased with increase in the level of croscarmellose sodium. Where as, disintegration time and dissolution parameters increased with increase in the level of sodium starch glycolate in tablets. However, the disintegration time values did not reflect in the dissolution parameter values of crospovidone tablets and release was dependent on the aggregate size in the dissolution medium. Stability studies indicated that tablets containing superdisintegrants were sensitive to high humidity conditions. It is concluded that fast-dispersible aceclofenac tablets could be prepared by direct compression using superdisintegrants.     

Effects of different types of lactose and disintegrant on dissolution stability of hydrochlorothiazide capsule formulations

Dissolution at the 20 min time point of hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) capsules containing Fast-Flo^® lactose, hydrous lactose, or anhydrous lactose decreased by 45, 25, and 10%, respectively, after 6 months storage at 50°C. It was hypothesized that the decrease in dissolution was due to the formation of a trace amount of formaldehyde from the hydrolysis of HCTZ in the presence of moisture liberated from the excipients and the capsule shells, and the subsequent interactions of the formaldehyde with gelatin capsule shells and corn starch present in the formulation to form insoluble compounds. In a simulated storage environment of high temperature and moisture in Conway cells and using the diffusion method, it was demonstrated that the amount of formaldehyde formed depended on the type of lactose used in the blend and followed the rank order of Fast-Flo^® > hydrous > anhydrous (pairwise p values < 0.05). In the capsule formulation containing Fast-Flo^® lactose as diluent, replacement of corn starch with a superdisintegrant such as sodium starch glycolate (Explotab^®) or croscarmellose sodium (Ac-Di-Sol^®) did not improve the dissolution stability. However, replacement of corn starch with crospovidone (Polyplasdone XL^®) as a disintegrant resulted in a capsule formulation with satisfactory dissolution stability. It was observed that in formulations which exhibited poor dissolution, the dissolution of the capsule shells was more adversely affected by formaldehyde than that of the capsule contents. Moreover, in the presence of added water, significantly less formaldehyde was detected in blends containing corn starch, Explotab^®, or Ac-Di-Sol^® compared to blends containing Polyplasdone XL^® or control (no disintegrant) probably because some of the formaldehyde generated was consumed in reactions with those disintegrants. Success of Polyplasdone XL^® in improving dissolution stability of the HCTZ capsules was attributed mainly to its moisture scavenging ability, which prevented the formation of formaldehyde and, to some extent, its non-reactivity with formaldehyde.     

Development of a rapidly dispersing tablet of a poorly wettable compound: formulation DOE and mechanistic study of effect of formulation excipients on wetting of celecoxib

Celecoxib has extremely poor aqueous wettability and dispersibility. A dispersibility method was developed to study the effects of formulation excipients and processing methods on wetting of celecoxib. In this method, a tablet or powder was placed in water and the turbidity of the resulting "dynamic" suspension was measured. Higher turbidity values reflect better dispersibility. Results show that wet granulation facilitates better drug dispersion than does dry granulation or direct compression. Results from a screening formulation statistical design of experiments (DOE) show that sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), an anionic surfactant, gives higher celecoxib dispersibility than polysorbate 80, a neutral surfactant. Polyplasdone XL as a disintegrant results in better celecoxib dispersibility than sodium starch glycolate. The binder Kollidon 30 leads to better dispersibility, but slower disintegration than Kollidon 12. Jet-milling celecoxib with excipients not only improves dispersibility of the drug but also the ease of material handling. The method of microcrystalline cellulose addition does not significantly impact tablet properties. The effect of critical formulation variables on the wettability of celecoxib was further examined in prototype formulations. It is found that ionic surfactant resulted in better dispersibility than a neutral surfactant, probably due to charge dispersion. Kollidon 30 gives better drug dispersion than hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl cellulose. This may be explained through a surface energy calculation, where the spreading coefficients between Kollidon 30 and celecoxib indicate formation of open porous granules in which pores can facilitate water uptake. The mode of disintegrant addition also impacts dispersibility of the drug. Dense granules were formed when the disintegrant, Polyplasdone, was added intra-granularly. As the extra-granular portion of the disintegrant increases, the dispersibility of the drug increases as well. The drug initial dispersibility (turbidity at 5 min during the dispersibility test) increases as the tablet porosity increases. A 3-factor face-centered experimental design was conducted to optimize the levels of surfactant (SLS), binder (Kollidon 30) and disintegrant (Polyplasdone). Within the range that was studied, the dispersibility of micronized drug increases as the amount of SLS and Kollidon 30 increases. The level of Polyplasdone has no significant impact on the dispersibility of micronized drug; however, higher levels of Polyplasdone lead to significantly harder tablets.     

Effect of tablet solubility and hygroscopicity on disintegrant efficiency in direct compression tablets in terms of dissolution

The effect of tablet composite solubility and hygroscopicity on the dissolution efficiency of three "super disintegrants", sodium starch glycolate, crospovidone, and croscarmellose sodium, was investigated. Lactose, dicalcium phosphate dihydrate, and sorbitol, alone or in combination, provided varying degrees of solubility and hygroscopicity to the direct compression tablet formulations. To monitor in vitro dissolution, 1% p-aminobenzoic acid was added to the formulation as a tracer. The results indicate that hygroscopic ingredients decrease the effectiveness of super disintegrants in promoting in vitro dissolution. The greater the overall hygroscopicity of the tablet formulation, the larger the decrease in the efficiency of the super disintegrant. Composite tablet solubility did not influence the effectiveness of the super disintegrants. Super disintegrants that complied with the same compendial specifications, but were manufactured by different companies, behaved similarly in promoting tablet dissolution.     

Influence of excipients,drugs, and osmotic agent in the inner core on the time-controlled disintegration of compression-coated ethylcellulose tablets

The effect of excipient, drug, and osmotic agent loaded in the inner core tablet on the time-controlled disintegration of compression-coated tablet prepared by direct compression with micronized ethylcellulose was investigated. The excipients [spray-dried lactose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, sodium starch glycolate, microcrystalline cellulose, different drugs (sodium diclofenac: model drug, salbutamol sulfate, and theophylline anhydrate) and osmotic agent (sodium chloride)] were used to formulate the composition of the inner core tablet. The result indicates that drug release from all the compression-coated tablets was characterized by a distinctive lag of time followed by a faster drug release, dependent on the types of excipient and drug, and osmotic agent used in the inner core tablet. Respectively, the lag of time was 8.5, 12.4, 14.6, or 15.8 h for spray-dried lactose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, sodium starch glycolate, or microcrystalline cellulose-loaded inner core tablet, as compared with 16.4 h for an inner core made of sodium diclofenac alone. The direct-compressible excipients such as spray-dried lactose, sodium starch glycolate, and microcrystalline cellulose seemed not to illustrate a marked disintegration function to rapidly rapture the outer coating layer. The lag of time was only slightly shortened from 16.4 to 14.6 h, >24 to 17.8 h, or >24 to 21.3 h for sodium diclofenac, theophylline anhydrate, or salbutamol sulfate incorporated with sodium starch glycolate into the inner core tablet, respectively, suggesting that sodium starch glycolate did not perform its superdisintegration. Once an osmotic agent of sodium chloride was incorporated into the inner core tablet, the lag of time for the compression-coated tablet was markedly shortened to <1 h, as compared with 16.4 h for drug alone. The more the amount of sodium chloride added, the less the time of lag obtained. Osmotic pressure did have a key role in controlling the drug dissolution. The present result implies that osmotic function is more suitable than superdisintegration function in designing a compression-coated tablet with time-controlled disintegration.     

Influence of water uptake,gel network,and disintegration time on prednisone release from encapsulated solid dispersions

Prednisone is considered the glucocorticoid of choice for anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressant effects. However, its very low aqueous solubility can compromise oral bioavailability. Changes in the dissolution of a prednisone-PEG 6000 solid dispersion into capsule were investigated by addition of pregelatinized starch. Physical state of prednisone:PEG 6000 was analyzed by X-ray diffractometry, and scanning electron microscopy. Capsule formulations containing prednisone-PEG 6000 and pregelatinized starch showed superior dissolution properties (>?95% in 60?min) when compared with reference capsules without disintegrant (<?45% in 60?min). Water uptake and disintegration time were directly correlated with pregelatinized starch amount. The morphology of prednisone-PEG 6000 particles with disintegrant was analyzed by SEM, showing a novel surface structure. Thus, solid dispersions of a poorly water soluble drug combined with a disintegrant were confirmed as a valid approach to the improvement of drug dissolution.