Improvement on the tableting properties of traditional Chinese medicine extracts by fluid-bed coating and pore forming / 药学学报

ABSTRACT

This paper aimed to study the effect of combined co-processing of coating and pore forming on the tableting and tablet properties of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) extracts together with its applicability. Four TCM extracts were co-processed using fluid bed with hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) as coating agent and ammonium bicarbonate (NH4HCO3) as pore-forming agent. Powder properties (such as particle size and size distribution, bulk density, tap density, moisture content) and tablet properties (including tensile strength, compaction ratio, fast elastic stretch, and disintegration time) were measured and compared among the powders. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was applied to characterize the surface of particles and tablets. Results showed that the particle size, flowability, and compactibility of the composite particles with HPMC were superior to the parent powders of TCM extracts. These properties of the porous particles with HPMC and NH4HCO3 showed further improvements. In addition, the addition of HPMC prolonged the disintegration time of tablets, whereas the pore-forming effect of NH4HCO3 could shorten the disintegration time. SEM revealed the changes in the morphology of the composite particles and the pores on the surface of the porous particles and tablets. In conclusion, co-processing with HPMC and NH4HCO3 could improve the powder and tablet properties of TCM extract powders, and this method shows certain applicability, which provides a feasible choice for improving the tableting properties of some TCM extract powders.