Evaluation of Weight Variation in Mini-Tablets Manufactured by a Multiple-Tip Tool.

Recently, owing to their pharmaceutical and clinical utility, mini-tablets have been well studied by researchers. Mini-tablets are usually manufactured by compression molding using a multiple-tip tool in a rotary tableting machine. Owing to their special structure, ensuring uniformity is a very important challenge in the manufacturability of mini-tablets using the multiple-tip tool. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the weight variation in mini-tablets produced by a multiple-tip tool, which is considered to be the root cause affecting the uniformity, and to investigate the physical properties of drug granules and tableting conditions in a rotary tableting machine that could reduce this weight variation. In addition, the relationship between these factors and response was visualized using response surface analysis. It was shown that the weight variation in mini-tablets produced by a multiple-tip tool was reduced when using a forced feeder compared with an open feeder. Furthermore, in the case of an open feeder, the optimal range of the average particle size diameter of drug granules and the rotational speed of the rotating disc in the rotary tableting machine were determined from response surface analysis. It was suggested that it is possible to reduce the weight variation in the mini-tablets by selecting drug granules with an average particle size diameter of 100-150 µm and using tableting conditions with a rotational speed of 40-60 rpm. This study elucidated the factors that affect uniformity and determined their optimal range for the manufacture of mini-tablets.

The Development of Self-nanoemulsifying Liquisolid Tablets to Improve the Dissolution of Simvastatin.

The aim of this work was to develop self-nanoemulsifying liquisolid tablets (SNELT) to enhance the dissolution profile of poorly water-soluble simvastatin. SNELT present a unique technique of incorporating self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS) into tablets. Optimized SNEDDS containing different oils, Cremophor® RH 40 (surfactant) and Transcutol® HP (co-surfactant), at different ratios, were used as liquid vehicles and loaded on carrier material, microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), and coating material, Cab-o-sil® H-5 (nanosize colloidal silicon dioxide) powders at different loading factors (L f ) and fixed excipient ratio (R = 20). The effect of using different carrier materials, granulated mannitol, crystalline mannitol, and maltodextrin with MCC at different ratios, and different coating materials, Aeroperl® 300 (granulated silicon dioxide) at different excipient ratios (R), was also emphasized. Liquisolid powders with acceptable flowability, compressibility, and tablet weight were compressed into tablets. Results revealed that powders with L f = 0.2 possessed the most preferable properties to be tableted. SNELT with MCC and Cab-o-sil® H-5 were able to generate nanoemulsions and to enhance the cumulative percent of drug dissolved at 60 min significantly to reach up to 90%. Furthermore, using carrier material (granulated mannitol/MCC at ratio 3:1) enabled SNELT to disperse into nanoemulsion (Z-average = 25.7 nm) and improved the dissolution profile significantly to reach 99% at 60 min. Cab-o-sil® H-5 proved to be a better coating material compared to Aeroperl® 300. In conclusion, developed SNELT were promising in enhancing in vitro dissolution of simvastatin and excipients highly affect SNELT's performance.