Insight into Traditional Chinese Medicine Obtained from an October 2004 Visit to China Organized by the People to People Ambassador Program

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of roller compaction parameters and the amount of magnesium stearate used in dry granulation on granule and tablet properties of a dry herbal extract from St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum L.). Two different extract batches were blended with magnesium stearate and compacted using a gap width and force controlled roller compactor. A 3³ factorial design was used to evaluate the influence of the three independent variables, the amount of magnesium stearate, the roller compaction force, and the granulating sieve size on the mean particle size of granulated extracts and on the disintegration time of tablets containing these granulated extracts. The evaluation was done by multilinear stepwise regression analysis. The mean particle size d₅₀ (R²>0.9) of both compacted extracts increased with increasing compaction force and with granulating sieve size. The disintegration time of the tablets was mostly in the range 5–15 min and increased slightly with increasing magnesium stearate concentration in the compacted extract and with decreasing compaction force of the roller compaction. The incorporation of magnesium stearate into the granulated extract reduced its potential negative influence on the disintegration time, while maintaining its functionality as a lubricant.     

Structure-lubricity evaluation of magnesium stearate

Six batches of magnesium stearate containing 0%:100%, 10%:90%, 15%:85%, 25%:75%, 30%:70% and 100%:0% magnesium stearate : magnesium palmitate have been synthesised. The specific surface area and differential thermal analysis of each lubricant was measured together with X-ray diffraction studies on the 15%:85% sample. 1% w/w of each lubricant was mixed with lactose and the mixture was compressed at various compaction pressures and speeds. It was found that there was no correlation between the surface area of the lubricants, their chemical composition and lubricant efficiency. The X-ray crystallographic data indicated that the unit cell was a primitive tricyclic subcell of the P′2 arrangement. An evaluation of the compaction characteristics of the lubricants indicated that minimal energy is required to compress satisfactorily the 25%:75% sample and this lubricant also required the least amount of energy to eject tablets from the die. It was concluded that the lubricant was a 25%:75% ratio of magnesium stearate to palmitate, which was found to be far superior to the technical grade of magnesium stearate also investigated.     

Formulation and process optimization to eliminate picking from market image tablets

A tablet formulation when compressed using market image tooling may cause picking of powder. A D-optimal statistical experiment was designed to optimize the direct compression formulation and the process to alleviate picking of powder. The effects of levels of magnesium stearate, colloidal silicon dioxide (CSD), and lubrication time on picking were investigated using original compression tooling. These optimization results provided a small robust manufacturing region, hence a change in the cut angles of embossed letters and numbers from 70 degrees to 90 degrees in the modified compression tooling was evaluated. A statistical analysis of the data identified a robust manufacturing region that included formulations containing magnesium stearate 1-1.25% w/w, CSD 0.1-0.3% w/w, with a lubrication time of 5-10 min when compressed using modified compression tooling. The results indicate a significant reduction in picking by increasing the cut angles of embossed letters and numbers in the modified compression tooling. By evaluating interactions between various variables, we demonstrate a concentration dependent effect of CSD on the lubrication efficiency of magnesium stearate and compactability of microcrystalline cellulose containing formulation. In addition, the lubrication efficiency of magnesium stearate is maintained by blending CSD with powder blend prior to lubrication with magnesium stearate.     

Roller compaction and tabletting of St. John's wort plant dry extract using a gap width and force controlled roller compactor. II. Study of roller compaction variables on granule and tablet properties by a 3(3) factorial design

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of roller compaction parameters and the amount of magnesium stearate used in dry granulation on granule and tablet properties of a dry herbal extract from St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum L.). Two different extract batches were blended with magnesium stearate and compacted using a gap width and force controlled roller compactor. A 3(3) factorial design was used to evaluate the influence of the three independent variables, the amount of magnesium stearate, the roller compaction force, and the granulating sieve size on the mean particle size of granulated extracts and on the disintegration time of tablets containing these granulated extracts. The evaluation was done by multilinear stepwise regression analysis. The mean particle size d50 (R2 > 0.9) of both compacted extracts increased with increasing compaction force and with granulating sieve size. The disintegration time of the tablets was mostly in the range 5-15 min and increased slightly with increasing magnesium stearate concentration in the compacted extract and with decreasing compaction force of the roller compaction. The incorporation of magnesium stearate into the granulated extract reduced its potential negative influence on the disintegration time, while maintaining its functionality as a lubricant.     

硬脂酸镁过度润滑作用对盐酸二甲双胍缓释片的影响

目的 考察硬脂酸镁过度润滑作用对盐酸二甲双胍缓释片的影响。方法 通过改变硬脂酸镁的用量、改变硬脂酸镁的混合时间、改变加料器转速,制备不同盐酸二甲双胍缓释片。通过对比总混颗粒的粉体性质、片剂的溶出。综合评价硬脂酸镁过度润滑对盐酸二甲双胍缓释片的影响。结果 增加硬脂酸镁的用量、延长总混时间、加快加料器的转速均会导致硬脂酸镁过度润滑。表现为颗粒流动性并未明显改善,但可压性显著下降,盐酸二甲双胍缓释片溶出无明显减缓。结论 盐酸二甲双胍缓释片的可压性对硬脂酸镁的润滑作用敏感,需控制硬脂酸镁的用量、混合的时间以及加料器的转述,防止过度润滑,造成可压性变差的现象产生。     

Excipient–Process Interactions and their Impact on Tablet Compaction and Film Coating

The objective of this study was to establish the effects of the level of minor formulation components (sodium lauryl sulfate: SLS, and magnesium stearate: MgSt) and manufacturing process on final blend compaction properties and the performance of the tablets during film coating. A 2 × 2 × 3 factorial study was conducted at two levels of SLS (0% and 1%, w/w) and MgSt (0.5% and 1.75%, w/w), along with three different manufacturing processes (direct compression, high‐shear wet granulation, and dry granulation). The tablets were compressed to the same solid fraction (0.9) and the resulting tablet hardness values were found to vary over a range of 13–42 SCU, highlighting large compactability differences among these batches. Increase in the level of SLS or MgSt in the formulation had a significant negative effect on compactability and the performance of film‐coated tablets. The detrimental effects on compaction and coating performance were magnified for the dry granulation process, likely due to the overall increased shear experienced by excipients (SLS, MgSt, microcrystalline cellulose) during the roller compaction and milling steps. The findings of this study highlight the importance of the manufacturing process when considering the use‐level of formulation components such as SLS and MgSt in the formulation. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 103:3666–3674, 2014     

Mechanistic study of the effect of roller compaction and lubricant on tablet mechanical strength

Heckel analysis, tablet tensile strength, and indentation hardness were determined for a series of sieved and roller compacted microcrystalline cellulose mixtures under both unlubricated and lubricated conditions with magnesium stearate. These results have been used to evaluate the loss of reworkability following roller compaction for microcrystalline cellulose and show the extent of impact on tableting properties when magnesium stearate is added intragranularly prior to roller compaction. While results consistent with traditional work-hardening are observed as shown by a modest increase in dynamic hardness and mean yield pressure for unlubricated, roller compacted microcrystalline cellulose, it is overshadowed by the overlubrication effect seen during roller compaction and in particular, the subsequent milling step. The common practice of lubricating the feedstock with magnesium stearate to avoid sticking of the material to the compaction rolls appears to be the major cause of decreased mechanical strength of the final compressed tablets.     

Effect of lubricant type and concentration on the punch tip adherence of model ibuprofen formulations

A model formulation, comprising ibuprofen and direct compression lactose (Tablettose 80) was used to assess the influence of two lubricants, magnesium stearate and stearic acid, on punch tip adherence. Lubricant concentrations were varied from 0.25% to 2% w/w. Formulations in the presence and absence of 0.5% w/w colloidal silica (Aerosil 200) were examined, to assess the influence of the glidant on the anti-adherent effects of the lubricants. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to examine the effect of the lubricants on the melting temperature of ibuprofen. Tablets were compacted using a single punch tablet press at 10 kN using hard chrome-plated punches or at 40 kN using uncoated steel punches, tooling was 12.5-mm diameter in each case. The upper punch faces were characterized by obtaining Taylor Hobson Talysurf surface profiles. Following compaction, ibuprofen attached to the face was quantified by spectroscopy. At low concentrations of each lubricant, the levels of sticking observed were similar. Whilst sticking increased at magnesium stearate concentrations above 1%, sticking with stearic acid remained relatively constant at all concentrations. DSC revealed that the melting temperature of ibuprofen was lowered by the formation of eutectic mixtures with both lubricants. However, the onset temperature of melting and melting point were lowered to a greater extent with magnesium stearate compared with stearic acid. When using uncoated tooling at 40 kN, the deleterious effects of magnesium stearate on the tensile strength of the tablets also contributed to sticking. When using chrome-plated punches at 10 kN, the tensile strength reduction by the presence of magnesium stearate was less pronounced, as was the level of sticking.     

Quantitative X-Ray Microcomputed Tomography Assessment of Internal Tablet Defects

Physical tablet defects are related to internal structural defects that are not easily assessed by the traditional methods, such as dusting, laminating, or fracturing during appearance, friability, or hardness testing. Also, these methods do not allow objective and quantitative investigation of the role of formulation and process variables, which is essential for quality-by-design drug product development. In this study, an X-ray microcomputed tomography (XμCT) method to analyze internal tablet defects is developed using tablets from a quality-by-design design-of-experiment study. The design of experiment investigated the effect of roller compaction roll force, filler composition, and the amount of magnesium stearate on tablet quality attributes. Average contiguous void volume by optical image processing and fracture size distribution and direction by artificial intelligence–based image processing quantified the internal tablet fracture severity. XμCT increased formulation and process knowledge in support of scale-up manufacturing. We demonstrated how XμCT can be incorporated as a part of a holistic approach to quantitatively identify and mechanistically assess the risks of internal tablet defects. Furthermore, expanding the use of XμCT with an artificial intelligence–based quantitative analysis can deepen our tableting knowledge from an empirical understanding to a mechanistic understanding of compaction phenomenon.     

Influence of the granulation technique and starting material properties on the lubricating effect of granular magnesium stearate

Magnesium stearate has been granulated in four ways to produce lubricant granulations with different properties. The lubricating properties, as well as the tablet properties with the granulated lubricant, were evaluated on tablets prepared from a mixture of dicalcium phosphate, corn starch and microcrystalline cellulose. The lubricating effect of the magnesium stearate granulations showed a similar pattern regardless of the granulation technique used except for a granulation with providone. Increasing the particle size of the magnesium stearate granulation increased the amount of lubricant required to obtain lubrication similar to powdered magnesium stearate. Variations in the specific surface area of the starting materials could be masked by using them in granular form.     

An investigation into the erosion behaviour of a high drug-load (85%) particulate system designed for an extended-release matrix tablet. Analysis of erosion kinetics in conjunction with variations in lubrication, porosity and compaction rate

The effects of the amounts of lubricants (magnesium stearate 0-5% and talc 0-3%) and changes in compaction rate and tablet porosity on the mechanism of drug release from high drug-load controlled-release theophylline tablets have been examined. Drug release was satisfactorily described by a surface-erosion model that takes into account the geometry of the tablet, differential radial and axial erosion rates, and the initial burst effect (r2 > 0.99 for all formulations). The axial and radial erosion rate constants were inversely proportional to the amount of magnesium stearate in the formulation (P < 0.0001). The most dramatic reductions in erosion rate occurred between 0 and 1% magnesium stearate content. For magnesium stearate concentrations > or =2.5% the ratio of radial to axial erosion rate constants was essentially constant at 3 (approx.); however, for formulations with magnesium stearate < or =1% the ratio tended toward unity. Reducing matrix porosity over the range 26 to 14% resulted in reduced erosion rates. However, a threshold of 17% (approx.) porosity was identified below which further reductions in porosity resulted in only incremental changes in release rates. The rate of erosion and drug release was insensitive to changes in machine speed over the range 20 to 100 rev min(-1). For highly loaded matrix tablets containing sparingly soluble drugs, such as theophylline, magnesium stearate at appropriate levels can modulate the erosion rate constants and act as an effective release-controlling excipient. Drug-release profiles are predictable and relatively robust in terms of changes in compaction rate and applied force routinely encountered in large-scale tablet manufacturing.     

Roller Compaction and Tabletting of St. John's Wort Plant Dry Extract Using a Gap Width and Force Controlled Roller Compactor. I. Granulation and Tabletting of Eight Different Extract Batches

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of roller compaction parameters on granule and tablet quality of a dry herbal extract from St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum L.), which is widely used in the treatment of mild to moderate depressive disorders. Eight different extract batches were blended with 0.5, 2, and 5% of magnesium stearate and were compacted at different compaction forces using a gap width and force controlled roller compactor. The ribbon formed was milled into granules having mean particle sizes up to 700 μm. The roller compaction of the extracts decreased significantly the angle of repose from about 45 to 32° and the Hausner ratio from about 1.2 to 1.1. Tabletting of granulated extract instead of extract powder effectively reduced not only dust and feeding problems during the tabletting process but also prevented capping. The incorporation of 2 and 5% of magnesium stearate into the roller compacted extract reduced significantly the sticking of the dry herbal extracts to the punch faces without affecting the crushing strength of the tablets. Tablets containing granulated extracts exhibited a 3-fold lower disintegration time of about 12 min compared to tablets containing extract powder. Dissolution studies revealed that hyperforin, hypericin, and rutin were more rapidly released from tablets containing granulated extract. Therefore, roller compaction leveled out the differences in technological properties between the eight dry herbal extracts and compression of granulated extract significantly improved tablet quality.     

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.     

Roller compaction and tabletting of St. John's wort plant dry extract using a gap width and force controlled roller compactor. I. Granulation and tabletting of eight different extract batches

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of roller compaction parameters on granule and tablet quality of a dry herbal extract from St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum L.), which is widely used in the treatment of mild to moderate depressive disorders. Eight different extract batches were blended with 0.5, 2, and 5% of magnesium stearate and were compacted at different compaction forces using a gap width and force controlled roller compactor. The ribbon formed was milled into granules having mean particle sizes up to 700 microns. The roller compaction of the extracts decreased significantly the angle of repose from about 45 to 32 degrees and the Hausner ratio from about 1.2 to 1.1. Tabletting of granulated extract instead of extract powder effectively reduced not only dust and feeding problems during the tabletting process but also prevented capping. The incorporation of 2 and 5% of magnesium stearate into the roller compacted extract reduced significantly the sticking of the dry herbal extracts to the punch faces without affecting the crushing strength of the tablets. Tablets containing granulated extracts exhibited a 3-fold lower disintegration time of about 12 min compared to tablets containing extract powder. Dissolution studies revealed that hyperforin, hypericin, and rutin were more rapidly released from tablets containing granulated extract. Therefore, roller compaction leveled out the differences in technological properties between the eight dry herbal extracts and compression of granulated extract significantly improved tablet quality.     

Impact of solid-state properties on lubrication efficacy of magnesium stearate

The advent of high-speed tableting and slug capsule-filling machines has ushered in an increasingly important role for the lubricants to enact during manufacturing of dosage forms. Although lubricants help in processing, they can also adversely affect the flow properties and dissolution profile of the drug. It is thus critical to maintain a balance between these two behaviors, by understanding the underlying mechanisms and using their optimum concentration in the formulation. The source and manufacturing process inculcate different solid-state properties to magnesium stearate, the most commonly used lubricant, leading to variations in its lubrication efficacy. However, there has been no complete study relating the lubrication efficacy of magnesium stearate to various levels of solid state. Hence, this study was aimed at comprehensively scrutinizing the role of molecular, particle, and bulk level properties of solid state on the lubrication efficacy of magnesium stearate. A method based on net work done during compression using texture analyzer, was developed and validated to analyze its performance. Particle and bulk-level properties were studied using microscopy, particle size analysis, and particle surface area determination, and molecular level was characterized using thermal, spectroscopic, and crystallographic methods. Interplay of solid-state characteristics such as particle size, degree of agglomeration, and crystal habit were found to markedly influence the lubrication potential of magnesium stearate.     

Instrumented roll technology for the design space development of roller compaction process

Instrumented roll technology on Alexanderwerk WP120 roller compactor was developed and utilized successfully for the measurement of normal stress on ribbon during the process. The effects of process parameters such as roll speed (4-12 rpm), feed screw speed (19-53 rpm), and hydraulic roll pressure (40-70 bar) on normal stress and ribbon density were studied using placebo and active pre-blends. The placebo blend consisted of 1:1 ratio of microcrystalline cellulose PH102 and anhydrous lactose with sodium croscarmellose, colloidal silicon dioxide, and magnesium stearate. The active pre-blends were prepared using various combinations of one active ingredient (3-17%, w/w) and lubricant (0.1-0.9%, w/w) levels with remaining excipients same as placebo. Three force transducers (load cells) were installed linearly along the width of the roll, equidistant from each other with one transducer located in the center. Normal stress values recorded by side sensors and were lower than normal stress values recorded by middle sensor and showed greater variability than middle sensor. Normal stress was found to be directly proportional to hydraulic pressure and inversely to screw to roll speed ratio. For active pre-blends, normal stress was also a function of compressibility. For placebo pre-blends, ribbon density increased as normal stress increased. For active pre-blends, in addition to normal stress, ribbon density was also a function of gap. Models developed using placebo were found to predict ribbon densities of active blends with good accuracy and the prediction error decreased as the drug concentration of active blend decreased. Effective angle of internal friction and compressibility properties of active pre blend may be used as key indicators for predicting ribbon densities of active blend using placebo ribbon density model. Feasibility of on-line prediction of ribbon density during roller compaction was demonstrated using porosity-pressure data of pre-blend and normal stress measurements. Effect of vacuum to de-aerate pre blend prior to entering the nip zone was studied. Varying levels of vacuum for de-aeration of placebo pre blend did not affect the normal stress values. However, turning off vacuum completely caused an increase in normal stress with subsequent decrease in gap. Use of instrumented roll demonstrated potential to reduce the number of DOE runs by enhancing fundamental understanding of relationship between normal stress on ribbon and process parameters.     

Simulation of roller compaction using a laboratory scale compaction simulator

A method for simulation of the roller compaction process using a laboratory scale compaction simulator was developed. The simulation was evaluated using microcrystalline cellulose as model material and ribbon solid fraction and tensile strength as key ribbon properties. When compacted to the same solid fractions, real and simulated ribbons exhibited similar compression behavior and equivalent mechanical properties (tensile strengths). Thus, simulated and real ribbons are expected to result in equivalent granulations. Although the simulation cannot account for some roller compaction aspects (non-homogeneous ribbon density and material bypass) it enables prediction of the effects that critical parameters such as roll speed, pressure and radius have on the properties of ribbons using a fraction of material required by conventional roller compaction equipment. Furthermore, constant ribbon solid fraction and/or tensile strength may be utilized as scale up and transfer factors for the roller compaction process. The improved material efficiency and product transfer methods could enable formulation of tablet dosage forms earlier in drug product development.     

Effect of spray-dried mannitol on the performance of microcrystalline cellulose-based wet granulated tablet formulation

The purpose of this study was to evaluate mannitol as filler along with microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) in wet granulated tablet formulation, in situations where lactose cannot be included in the formulation due to chemical incompatibility with the active drug. A two-level full factorial design with two center points was used to study the effect of three variables: mannitol: MCC ratio (mannitol weight fraction of the filler; low 0 (no mannitol) and high 0.5), water to intragranular solids ratio (low 0.25 and high 0.4) and magnesium stearate concentration, w/w (0.6% low and 1.2% high). The response variables evaluated were granulation compactibility, ejection force, normalized granule size, % fines, flowability index, compression speed sensitivity and hardness loss upon storage. Addition of mannitol in the MCC formulation increased compactibility of the final granulation as it decreased the susceptibility of the formulation to compaction loss upon wet granulation. Presence of mannitol in the formulation reduced the compression speed sensitivity and also decreased the susceptibility of the formulation to hardness loss upon storage.     

Roller compaction: Application of an in-gap ribbon porosity calculation for the optimization of downstream granule flow and compactability characteristics

This paper reports the use of an in-gap ribbon porosity calculation for the optimisation of roller compaction ribbon parameters in order to control downstream granule and tablet properties for a typical pharmaceutical formulation. The study demonstrates the effect of changes to roll speed and roll gap on the relative level of ribbon compaction for ribbons with equivalent in-gap porosities. It is demonstrated that in-gap ribbon porosity can be applied to enable optimization of the downstream granule processability characteristics for a typical pharmaceutical formulation and an understanding of the control space of a roller compaction process.     

Mechanistic Insights into the Scale‐Up of the Roller Compaction Process: A Practical and Dimensionless Approach

Although the roller compaction process appears simple, efforts to quantitatively model the process have proven challenging because of complex material behavior in the feeding and compaction zones. To date, implementation of roller compaction models to experimental work has been limited because these models typically require large experimental data sets or obscure input parameters that are difficult to obtain experimentally. In this work, an alternative approach has been established, expanding upon a widely used roller compaction model, Johanson's model, to enable its incorporation into a daily workflow. The proposed method requires only standard, routinely measured parameters as inputs. An excellent correlation between simulated and experimental results has been achieved for placebo and active blends up to 22% (w/w) drug load. Furthermore, a dimensionless relationship between key process parameters and final compact properties was elucidated. This dimensionless parameter, referred to as the modified Bingham number (B_m*), highlights the importance of balancing yield and viscous stresses during roller compaction to achieve optimal output properties. By maintaining a constant ratio of yield‐to‐viscous stresses, as indicated by a constant B_m*, consistent products were attained between two scales of operation. B_m* was shown to provide guidance toward determining the design space for formulation development, as well as to facilitate scale‐up development.