The Effect of Recompression on the Dissolution of Wet Massed Tablets Containing ‘Super’ Disintegrants

Abstract

The effect of recompression on the disintegration, and dissolution of tablets employing ‘super’ disintegrants within a wet-massed Avicel matrix is reported. Differences were found in the disintegration times of tablets containing intra-granular or extra-granular disintegrants (Polyplasdone XL, Explotab and Ac-di-sol), both between disintegrant type and within the same disintegrant system following rework.

In the case oE extra-granular disintegrant, reworked compacts dissolved faster than the first compression tablets, irrespective of disintegrant type. Thus, milling and dispersion of the drug during rework appear to dominate over the effects of impaired disintegration when ‘super’ disintegrants are present. The control compacts (no disintegrant), however, dissolved less quickly following rework, indicating that dissolution was controlled by disintegration.

Tablets with intra-granular Polyplasdone XL and Ac-di-sol dissolved less quickly following rework. Both disintegrants have poor intra-granular rework efficiencies. However, for Explotab, which has better rework intra-granular efficiency, reworked tablets dissolved faster than first compression compacts.