Development of Rapid Dispersible Tablet Preparations Using Synthetic and Natural Superdisintegrant Disintegrants: Comparative Performance Analysis
Keywords:
Rapid dispersible tablet, superdisintegrant, croscarmellose sodium, crospovidone, Plantago ovata, Ispaghula husk, metformin HCl, direct compression, comparative studyAbstract
Rapid dispersible tablets (RDTs) are patient-friendly oral dosage forms designed to disintegrate rapidly in the oral cavity or in the presence of a small amount of water, thereby improving patient compliance, particularly among pediatric, geriatric, and dysphagic populations. The performance of RDTs is highly dependent on the type and concentration of superdisintegrants used, as these excipients play a critical role in governing tablet disintegration behavior, wetting characteristics, mechanical strength, and drug release kinetics. Synthetic superdisintegrants such as croscarmellose sodium (CCS) and crospovidone (CPVP) are widely utilized due to their high swelling capacity and capillary action, whereas natural superdisintegrants like Plantago ovata husk (ispaghula husk) have gained increasing interest as eco-friendly and biocompatible alternatives. However, comparative information regarding the efficiency of synthetic and natural superdisintegrants in high-dose drug formulations remains limited. In this study, metformin hydrochloride (500 mg), a high-dose and highly water-soluble antidiabetic drug, was formulated into RDTs using different superdisintegrants via direct compression. The results demonstrated that the optimized formulation containing crospovidone exhibited the fastest disintegration time of 29.1 seconds, along with rapid tablet breakup and efficient drug release, compared to formulations containing croscarmellose sodium and Plantago ovata husk.
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