Performance Evaluation of a Novel Biosourced Co-Processed Excipient in Direct Compression and Drug Release

Evaluating the efficacy of Rose Bengal-PVA combinations within PCL/PLA implants for sustained cancer treatment

The current investigation aims to address the limitations of conventional cancer therapy by developing an advanced, long-term drug delivery system using biocompatible Rose Bengal (RB)-loaded polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrices incorporated into 3D printed polycaprolactone (PCL) and polylactic acid (PLA) implants. The anticancer drug RB's high solubility and low lipophilicity require frequent and painful administration to the tumour site, limiting its clinical application. In this study, RB was encapsulated in a PVA (RB@PVA) matrix to overcome these challenges and achieve a localised and sustained drug release system within a biodegradable implant designed to be implanted near the tumour site. The RB@PVA matrix demonstrated an RB loading efficiency of 77.34 ± 1.53%, with complete RB release within 30 min. However, when integrated into implants, the system provided a sustained RB release of 75.84 ± 8.75% over 90 days. Cytotoxicity assays on PC-3 prostate cancer cells indicated an IC50 value of 1.19 µM for RB@PVA compared to 2.49 µM for free RB, effectively inhibiting cancer cell proliferation. This innovative drug delivery system, which incorporates a polymer matrix within an implantable device, represents a significant advancement in the sustained release of hydrosoluble drugs. It holds promise for reducing the frequency of drug administration, thereby improving patient compliance and translating experimental research into practical therapeutic applications.

Comparative Direct Compression Property of a Novel Pregelatinized Starch in Paracetamol Tablets

Background

Among all the pharmaceutical dosage forms, tablets are still the most preferred and the most commonly used option because of their advantages. The direct compression method of tablet preparation exempts several steps needed in the granulation method. Therefore, the pursuit of better direct compression tablet excipients is evident in contemporary research endeavors. Pregelatinized Taro Boloso-I starch has comparable flow properties and higher compressibility and compactibility than Starch 1500®. However, there is no evidence in the literature regarding the lubricant sensitivity and dilution potential of pregelatinized Taro Boloso-I starch. This study was aimed at performing the in vitro evaluation of paracetamol tablets prepared using pregelatinized Taro Boloso-I starch as a direct compression excipient using paracetamol as a model drug.

Methods

Taro Boloso-I starch was pregelatinized, and its properties including amylose to amylopectin ratio, densities, flow properties, swelling power, water solubility index, particle morphology, moisture content, and moisture sorption profile were evaluated. Furthermore, the lubricant sensitivity test, dilution potential study, and compatibility test with the paracetamol drug using ATR spectroscopy were performed. The properties of the directly compressed tablets prepared accordingly were evaluated. The majority of evaluations were performed in comparison with Starch 1500®. Results and Discussion. PGTBIS had a significantly lower amount of amylose than Starch 1500®. In the ATR-IR spectra of the mixture of the paracetamol and pregelatinized PGTBIS, all the major absorbance peaks of the drug were maintained indicating the absence of chemical modifications. PGTBIS showed better flow properties than Starch 1500®. The modified starch was shown to withstand magnesium stearate up to 0.5% concentration.

Conclusion

PGTBIS could accommodate higher drug cargo than Starch 1500® with acceptable tablet properties. Accordingly, PGTBIS starch could be taken as a potential direct compression excipient.

Mechanical approach for the evaluation of the crispiness of food granular products

Crispiness of food products is a key parameter for consumer acceptance. Available methods to evaluate this attribute are subjective and have limitations. They are particularly difficult to implement when granular products are considered. The present study aims to provide a physical characterization of the crispiness of food granular products (gari and grinded corn flakes) based on the compression cycle modeling and the determination of the Py (yield pressure) parameter of the Heckel model. High Py values attributed to the brittle behavior, are indicative of product crispiness. Furthermore, Py parameter showed sensitivity to the plasticizing effect of water. This developed physical method was validated through sensory analysis and acoustic measurements which are both considered as reference methods for crispiness evaluation. The brittle/plastic behavior attributed to crispy/non crispy products respectively was confirmed through image analysis using X-ray microcomputed tomography. The latter made it possible to distinguish the brittle from the plastic behavior through the particle size distribution evolution. This work suggests that the Py value is a relevant indicator for the crispiness evaluation of granular products. This physical characterization is expected to contribute in food engineering as an alternative method for granular products crispiness in a simpler and a more objective way.

Comprehensive powder flow characterization with reduced testing

Powder flow is a critical attribute of pharmaceutical blends to ensure tablet weight uniformity and production of tablets with consistent and reproducible properties. This study aims at characterizing different powder blends with a number of different rheologic techniques, in order to understand how particles' attributes and interaction between components within the formulation generate different responses when analysed by different rheological tests. Furthermore, this study intends on reducing the number of tests in early development phases, by selecting the ones that provide the best information about the flowability attributes of the pharmaceutical blends. This work considered two cohesive powders - spray-dried hydroxypropyl cellulose (SD HPMC) and micronized indomethacin (IND) - formulated with other four commonly used excipients [(lactose monohydrated (LAC), microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), magnesium stearate (MgSt) and colloidal silica (CS)]. The experimental results showed that powder flowability may be affected by materials particles' size, bulk density, morphology, and interactions with lubricant. In detail, parameters, such as angle of repose (AoR), compressibility percentage (CPS), and flow function coefficient (ff_c) have shown to be highly affected by the particle size of the materials present in the blends. On the other hand, the Specific Energy (SE) and the effective angle of internal friction (φe) showed to be more related with particle morphology and materials interaction with the lubricant. Since both ff_c and φe parameters are generated from the yield locus test, data suggest that a number of different powder flow features may be understood only by applying this test, avoiding redundant powder flow characterization, as well as extensive time and material spent in early development formulation stages.

Investigating Variation in Compressional Behavior of a Ternary Mixture from a Plastic, Elastic and Brittle Fracture Perspective in the Context of Optimum Composition of a Pharmaceutical Blend

The choice of optimum composition of a mixture of binary and ternary excipients for optimum compressional properties was investigated in this work. Excipients were chosen based on three types of excipients: plastic, elastic, and brittle fracture. Mixture compositions were selected based on a one-factor experimental design using the response surface methodology technique. Compressive properties comprising Heckel and Kawakita parameters, work of compression, and tablet hardness were measured as the main responses of this design. The one-factor RSM analysis revealed that there exist specific mass fractions that are associated with optimum responses for binary mixtures. Furthermore, the RSM analysis of the 'mixture' design type for the three components revealed a region of optimal responses around a specific composition. The foregoing had a mass ratio of 80:15:5 for microcrystalline cellulose: starch: magnesium silicate, respectively. Upon comparison using all RSM data, ternary mixtures were found to perform better in compression and tableting properties than binary mixtures. Finally, the finding of an optimal mixture composition has proven effective in its applicability in the context of the dissolution of model drugs (metronidazole and paracetamol).

Optimization of Pregelatinized Taro Boloso-I Starch as a Direct Compression Tablet Excipient

Background. Tablets are still the most preferred means of drug delivery. The search for new and improved direct compression tablet excipients is an area of research focus. This is because the direct compression method overcomes the drawbacks of granulation methods of tablet production. It exempts several treatment steps associated with the granulation methods. The requirements for the powders to be directly compressible include flowability, low friction tendency, compressibility, and fast disintegration capacity. Taro Boloso-I is a new variety of Colocasia esculenta (L. Schott) yielding 67% more than a previously reported variety (Godare) in Ethiopia. This study is aimed at enhancing the flowability while keeping the compressibility and compactibility of the pregelatinized Taro Boloso-I starch. Methods. Central composite design was used for the optimization of two factors which were the temperature and duration of pregelatinization against 4 responses. The responses were angle of repose, Hausner’s ratio, Heckel’s yield pressure, and tablet breaking force. Results and Discussions. An increase in the temperature resulted in decrease in both the angle of repose and the Hausner ratio and that of time decreased angle of repose as well. The Heckel yield pressure was observed to increase with increasing levels of both temperature and time. The pregelatinized starch prepared by heating 15% slurry of Taro Boloso-I starch at the pregelatinization temperature of 66.22°C for 20 min showed desired flow property and compressibility. Conclusions. Pregelatinized Taro Boloso-I starch could be regarded as a potential direct compression excipient in terms of flowability, compressibility, and compactibility. The PGTBIS could perform better as filler and binder in direct compression tablets than the Starch 1500® in terms of compactibility.

An update on microcrystalline cellulose in direct compression: Functionality, critical material attributes, and co-processed excipients

Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) is one of the most popular cellulose derivatives in the pharmaceutical industry. Thanks to its outstanding tabletability, MCC is generally included in direct compression (DC) tablet formulations containing poor-tabletability active pharmaceutical ingredients. Nowadays, numerous grades of MCC from various brands are accessible for pharmaceutical manufacturers, leading to variability in MCC properties. Hence, it seems to be worthy and urgent to evaluate the influences of MCC variability on tablet quality and to identify critical material attributes (CMAs) based on the idea of Quality by Control. Besides, MCC-based co-processed excipients can effectively combine the functions of the filler, binder, disintegrant, lubricant, glidant, or flavor, and thus have drawn extensive interest. In this review, we focused specifically on the recent advances and development of MCC on DC tableting, including the functions in tablet formulations, potential CMAs, and MCC-based co-possessed excipients, therefore providing a reference for further studies.

Improving Tableting Performance of Lactose Monohydrate by Fluid-Bed Melt Granulation Co-Processing

Co-processing is commonly used approach to improve functional characteristics of pharmaceutical excipients to become suitable for tablet production by direct compression. This study aimed to improve tableting characteristics of lactose monohydrate (LMH) by co-processing by fluid-bed melt granulation with addition of hydrophilic (PEG 4000 and poloxamer 188) and lipophilic (glyceryl palmitostearate) meltable binders. In addition to binding purpose, hydrophilic and lipophilic excipients were added to achieve self-lubricating properties of mixture. Co-processed mixtures exhibit superior flow properties compared to pure LMH and comparable or better flowability relative to commercial excipient Ludipress^®. Compaction of mixtures co-processed with 20% PEG 4000 and 20% poloxamer 188 resulted in tablets with acceptable tensile strength (>2 MPa) and good lubricating properties (ejection and detachment stress values below 5 MPa) in a wide range of compression pressures. While the best lubricating properties were observed when glyceryl palmitostearate was used as meltable binder, obtained tablets failed to fulfil required mechanical characteristics. Although addition of meltable binder improves interparticle bonding, disintegration time was not prolonged compared to commercial excipient Ludipress^®. Co-processed mixtures containing 20% of either PEG 4000 or poloxamer 188 showed superior tabletability and lubricant properties relative to LMH and Ludipress^® and can be good candidates for tablet production by direct compression.