Study of the compressibility of chewing gum and its applicability as an oral drug delivery system

Abstract

Medicated chewing gum tablets were prepared and evaluated as an oral drug delivery system. The morphology and surface free energy of the components were characterized, and the tablets were prepared by direct compression with an instrumented eccentric tableting machine. The compressibility, the porosity and the texture of the tablets were investigated and the dissolution of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (caffeine) from them was tested with a specially-developed method. Cafosa gum base is a co-processed product which is compressible. Because of the sticking of the tablets to the punches and the high friction that arises during ejection from the die, the use of lubricants and suitable (e.g. Teflon-coated) punches is necessary on a production scale. For this purpose, magnesium stearate with high specific surface area was applied. The release of caffeine in response to the mechanical effect applied proved to be rapid and quantitative and the profile closely obeyed the Korsmeyer–Peppas equation, which is valid in the case of matrix systems. Medicated chewing gum tablets can be used as matrix tablets for oral pharmaceutical administration.

• Compressibility
• elasticity
• electron microscopy
• polymer–matrix composites

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.