Effect of components and deposition on technological performance of ibuprofen tablets

Objective: This work evaluated the influence of the technological properties of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), calcium phosphate (CP) and cross-linked sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CC) as well as the deposition of a solid dispersion, through the solvent evaporation method, on the technological parameters that define the properties of ibuprofen tablets. Methods: The powder flow rate through an orifice, bulk volume and tapped volume of powders, tablet hardness, disintegration time and dissolution profile of the tablets were determined on individual components, their physical mixtures, granules obtained by deposition and solvent evaporation, and tablets obtained at different compaction pressures. Results: The very poor flowability of CP and the high compactibility of PVP were transferred to the powder mixtures, which showed poor flowability, and ibuprofen tablets with twice the compactibility. The tablets disintegration was high with a low proportion of CC (0.5%), but decreased linearly by increasing the proportion of the disintegrant up to 10%. At the same time, the dissolution of the drug after 30 min increased from 3% to 80%. The agglomeration of CP through the deposition of an alcoholic solution of the drug and PVP improved the flow properties and tripled the hardness of the tablets. However, the dissolution after 30 min decreased from 80% to 18%. Conclusion: The physical mixture was the best option to improve the dissolution, while the deposition on an adsorbent, of a solid dispersion of drug-PVP, was the best option to improve the compactibility and flow properties.