SummaryDirect compression is a popular choice as it provides the simplest way to prepare the tablet.It can be easily adopted when the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) is unstable in water or to thermal drying. An optimal formulation of preliminary mixed powders (premix powders) is beneficial if prepared in advance for tableting use. The aim of this study was to find the optimal formulation of the premix powders composed of lactose (LAC), cornstarch (CS), and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) by using statistical techniques. Based on the "Quality by Design" concept, a (3,3)-simplex lattice design consisting of three components, LAC, CS, and MCC was employed to prepare the model premix powders. Response surface method incorporating a thin-plate spline interpolation (RSM-S) was applied for estimation of the optimum premix powders for tableting use. The effect of tablet shape identified by the surface curvature on the optimization was investigated. The optimum premix powder was effective when the premix was applied to a small quantity of API, although the function of premix was limited in the case of the formulation of large amount of API. Statistical techniques are valuable to exploit new functions of well-known materials such as LAC, CS, and MCC.Key words tablet; direct compression; premix powder; quality by design; simplex lattice design; thin-plate spline
Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin Advance PublicationA compressed tablet is one of the most popular and widely used dosage forms for drug administration. They are easy to swallow and the proper dose is countable by the number of tablets. Compared with the other solid dosage forms such as powders, granules, and capsules, tableting requires rather long and complex manufacturing process, i.e., milling, sieving, mixing, granulation, drying, and compression via a tableting machine. Direct compression is the simplest method and a popular choice to prepare the tablet.
1)In addition, direct compression is easy to adopt when the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) is unstable in water or to thermal drying.2)It is beneficial if we can provide the optimal formulation of preliminary mixed powders (premix powders) in advance for tableting use. Such knowledge can be applicable to the development of an initial trial of tablet formulation containing APIs.The aim of this study was to find the optimal formulation of the premix powders composed of lactose (LAC), cornstarch (CS), and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) by using a series of statistical techniques. [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] LAC is used as a filler-binder and CS as a filler and possible disintegrating agent.
13)MCC is a filler and used mostly as a binder for direct compression.
14)These components are the most common and effective tableting materials. 15) In recent years, the application of statistical techniques to pharmaceutical product development has been implemented to allow the "Quality by Design" concept proposed by the International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharm...