Use of Excipients in Solid Dosage Forms

The importance of excipients as auxiliary substances in solid dosage formulations is immense. In such applications, Microcrystalline Cellulose and Calcium Carbonate can be used together as auxiliary substances along with the pharmaceutical active ingredient. When used in this way with dry blending, it possesses better compressibility properties.

Excipients as auxiliary substances are not active ingredients. Among the most important characteristics of auxiliary substances in pharmaceutical preparations are properties such as ensuring drug release and the ability to be formulated into tablet form.

How Many Types of Tablet Preparation Methods Are There?

There are different methods for tablet preparation. These are of 3 types.

• Tablet Formation via Direct Compression Method
• Tablet Formation via Dry Granulation Method
• Tablet Formation via Wet Granulation Method

During tablet formation via the direct compression method, all excipients (auxiliary) in powder form are mixed with the active substance and produced by compression without any intermediate processing.

The direct compression method has some disadvantages. In the direct compression process, the most prominent characteristics are the low bulk density and poor flow of the tablet. Granulation methods are more suitable for tablet formulas where poor flow properties and low bulk density may occur.

Low dust formation occurs in tablets obtained via the Granulation Method. More importantly, it helps the active ingredient to be distributed homogeneously within the tablet.

The tablet composition may include several substances. These may include the active ingredient, lubricants, binders, fillers, disintegrants, along with a larger amount of excipients.

Granules can be combined with one or more excipients before the re-compression process is performed.

In the wet granulation process, some or all of the components within the tablet are mixed. In the subsequent process, water is added to the mixed powder form for processing. The obtained wet granulation is passed through a sieve. Then it is dried. In the subsequent process, fillers, disintegrants, lubricants, or other excipients can be added.

What are the Differences Between Compression Methods?

Compression via the cylindrical method is performed with high pressure. In this cylindrical system, it is compressed by rollers rotating in opposite directions with high pressure. In this way, it is densified. Therefore, the resulting material is produced in a single dimension.

Good binding and disintegration properties are obtained by using microcrystalline cellulose in tablet formulations. To achieve better properties, Microcrystalline Cellulose and Calcium Carbonate are used together.