RESUMO
Here we investigated the disintegration action of the natural superdisintegrant soy polysaccharide (SP) and benchmarked it against sodium starch glycolate (SSG) and crospovidone (XPVP). Kinetics and mechanism of disintegration of various tablet formulations were monitored using a USB microscope connected to a computer, followed by image analysis. SP acts mainly by a swelling mechanism and it is most effective at concentrations of 4-8%. Its disintegration action is comparable with that of SSG and XPVP, in most cases. However, SP underperforms compared with these superdisintegrants, in extremely hard tablets containing a hydrophobic component. Moreover, it is more negatively affected by the concentration of magnesium stearate than SSG and XPVP. The disintegration action of SP is not affected by pH and ionic strength of the medium, but it is compromised by the presence of ethanol. This indicates that the concomitant administration of alcoholic beverages might hamper the disintegration of SP-containing tablets. Overall, SP is a promising tablet disintegrant for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products.