Studies of the Effect of Storage Conditions on Some Pharmaceutical Parameters of Powders and Tablets

Abstract

This study evaluates the effect of storage conditions on some pharmaceutical parameters of powders (paracetamol, corn starch, tragacanth and polyvinyl pyrrolidone) and tablets (paracetamol, metronidazole and vitamin C). For powdered samples, angle of repose, bulk and tapped densities were determined while the tablets were evaluated for hardness, friability and disintegration before and after exposure to various humidity conditions, radiations from telecommunication mast and sunlight at intervals of 24 hrs & 1, 2, 4 and 8 weeks. The results showed a decrease in the angle of repose for paracetamol, corn starch, polyvinyl pyrollidone and tragacanth powders on exposure to sunlight. There was no significant (p>0.05) change in the tapped and bulk densities under the different storage conditions over the storage period. No organoleptic changes were observed for any of the samples stored under the environmental conditions over the two-month period. All the tablets stored over the two-month period conformed to the official BP standard for weight uniformity. Paracetamol tablets exposed to 93% relative humidity (RH) showed significantly lower reduction (P<0.05) in hardness compared to the other storage conditions. On prolonged exposure of paracetamol and metronidazole tablets to radiation from telecommunication mast, there was a reduction in tablet hardness and the tablets became friable. The observations of the present study reconfirm the role of storage conditions in ensuring the physical stability of pharmaceutical powders and tablets.

Quality Assessment of Brands of Prednisolone (5 Mg) Tablets Marketed in Abuja Metropolis of Nigeria

“…When a tablet is too hard, it may not disintegrate in the required time, and when it is too soft, it will not withstand handling. Several factors have been found to affect the hardness of tablets; these include lubricant type and concentration, particle size and density, tableting speed, compression force, storage conditions, binder type, and drug concentration (29)(30)(31)(33)(34)(35)(36)(37)(38). An increase in binder concentration increases the mechanical strength of tablets.…”

“…Cotton or other cellulose materials are commonly placed in containers of tablets to keep them closely packed to decrease railing and fractional contact on transportation or handling and agitation. The rougher the tablet's surface, the more friable it will be, although moisture content of tablet granulation has a profound effect on tablet friability (36).…”

“…Drug absorption and efficacy relies on disintegration time. The type and quantity of excipient used, storage conditions, and processes involved in manufacturing affect the disintegration of a tablet (34,36). Disintegration time is affected by the extent of fluid influx into the tablets, which also depends on porosity (28).…”

A Novel Stability Study of Simvastatin Generic Tablet in Public Pharmacy Facilities of Purwakarta District, Indonesia

“…A study by Gbenga et al (2016) on paracetamol tablets stored in stability chambers at different RH % (23%, 43%, 83%, 86%, and 93%) for 2 months showed a significant reduction in disintegration time with increasing RH %. Paracetamol tablets exposed to 93% RH showed the greatest reduction in hardness and disintegration time (Bakre & Taiwo, 2015).…”

“…Drug content was the main aspect of drug quality assessment. This is important to ensure that the percentage of active ingredient available in the product meet the amount stated on the product label (Bakre & Taiwo, 2015). Tests are usually published in pharmacopoeia monographs for each active ingredient.…”