Efforts in Improving Tablets’ Tensile Strength With a Coating System and Brittle Excipient: A Review

Abstract

Tablets are the most in-demand pharmaceutical preparation by pharmaceutical companies or users because they provide the best capabilities from all oral preparations. Maintaining the grade and quality of tablets need to be of great concern. Factors affecting the physical quality of tablets must always be evaluated, including tensile strength. Tensile strength directly affects the process of distribution, storage, disintegration, and dissolution of tablets. Tensile strength problem is often found during tablet production with the wet granulation method, in which overgranulation often occurs, especially in high-shear wet granulation (HSWG). The solution for over granulating is the addition of brittle excipients to form a strong bond when combined, thus increasing tensile strength. An ideal tensile strength may be achieved because the mechanical strength of the tablet is increased proportionally to the increased area of the bond. Another solution to increase tensile strength is by using a coating system using the Multiple Unit Pellet Systems (MUPS). The MUPS coating system often experiences problems such as caking. This problem can be overcome using a coating polymer that is stable on high RH and supports a strong tablet formulation. The solution to the tensile strength problem with the addition of brittle excipients and coating will be reviewed in this article to increase tensile strength.