ABSTRACT
A 2(3) factorial design was used in order to evaluate the influence of some adjuvants on the dissolution profile of tablets containing high doses of Maytenus ilicifolia spray-dried extract. Tablets were prepared on a single punch tablet press using 15 mm flat punches by individual direct compression of 650 mg from each formulation containing 375 mg of the spray-dried extract. The factors investigated were disintegrant (croscarmellose sodium or sodium starch glycolate), lubricant (colloidal silicon dioxide or magnesium stearate) and filler/binder (microcrystalline cellulose or lactose). The dissolution profiles were analyzed to determine the dissolution kinetics, the dissolution half-lives (t50%), the similarity factor (f2) and the dissolution efficiency (DE %), which was selected as the response criteria to evaluate the factorial design. The results revealed that in spite of the high content of spray-dried powder in the tablets, the dissolution profiles of the extract did depend on the adjuvant used. The filler/binder had the most important effect on the dissolution efficiency of the tablets.
