Objectives: This study aimed to characterize the tableting performance of maize and potato starches, when used in combination either as a disintegrant or binder in solid dosage form development.
Materials and methods: Wet granulation was used to process metronidazole granules incorporating either maize starch, potato starch, or a combination of the two starches as binders or disintegrant at 10% w/w. Granule analysis was carried out on the various formulations and subsequently compressed into tablets weighing approximately 500 mg following the addition of extragranular excipients. Tablet properties were assessed after 24 h of storage.
Results: Analysis of granule properties did not reveal a wide variation across the formulations irrespective of the type and combination of starches used in the formulation either as binder or disintegrant. It was observed, however, that there were slight differences in particle size, bulk and tapped densities of granule formulations containing the combined starch as excipients compared to granule formulations containing individual starch as the excipient. Tablets prepared using the combined starches as binder had lower tensile strength and disintegration time compared to other formulations incorporating the individual starches as binders. However, when evaluated as disintegrant, the tablet formulation containing the combined starches produced tablets with relatively lower disintegration time compared to formulations containing the individual starches as disintegrant.
Conclusion: The study concludes that the combination of maize and potato starches as excipients in tablet formulation influenced the outcome of granule and tablet properties.
Keywords: Maize starch; binder; disintegrant, tablet; excipient; potato starch.
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