The preparation, characterization, and application of porous core–shell composite particles produced with laboratory-scale spray dryer

Abstract

Objective

To prepare porous core–shell composite particles (PCPs) in order to improve the flowability and compactibility of powder materials for direct compaction (DC), as well as the dissolution of tablets.

Significance

The results obtained are meaningful to boosting the development and further research of PCPs on DC. Methods: In this study, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC E3) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP K30) were selected as shell materials, the Xiao Er Xi Shi formulation powder (XEXS) was used as the core materials, ammonium bicarbonate (NH₄HCO₃), and sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) were employed as pore-forming agent. Using co-spray drying method to prepare composite particles (CPs). Then, the physical properties and comparison between different CPs were characterized comprehensively. Finally, the different CPs were directly compacted as tablets to explore the effect on the dissolution behavior of DC tablets, respectively.

Results

(i) The XEXS PCPs were prepared successfully by co-spray drying, and the yield of PCPs is almost 80%; (ii) The TS values of PCP-X-P-Na, PCP-X-P-NH₄, PCP-X-H-Na and PCP-X-P-Na were 5.70, 7.56, 3.98, and 6.88 times higher than that of raw material (X); (iii) The disintegration time of PCPs tablets decreased 10–25% when compared with CPs tablets; (iv) The values of Carr’s index (CI), Hausner ratio (HR), Caking strength (CS), and Cohesion index (CoI) of PCP-X-H-NH₄ were 19.16%, 19.29%, 40.14%, and 6.39% lower than that of X, respectively.

Conclusions

The PCPs prepared by co-spray drying did improve the flowability and compactibility of powder, as well as the dissolution of tablets.

Keywords:

• Flowability
• compactibility
• porous core–shell composite particles
• direct compaction
• dissolution behavior

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, China [82003953]; China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, China [2019M662278]; National Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province, China [20202BAB216039]; 2020 Innovation Leading Talents Short-term Program, China; 2020-2022 Young Talents Support Project of Chinese Society of Chinese Medicine, China [2020-QNRC2-07]; Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Innovation Team Development Program, China [CXTD-22004]; and Program of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, China [2021BSZR015].