DESIGN, FORMATION AND EVALUATION OF A CO-DRIED DIRECTLY COMPRESSIBLE EXCIPIENT “TSAG-15” AND ITS UTILIZATION IN THE FORMULATION OF A RAPID RELEASE-MOUTH DISINTEGRATING ASCORBIC ACID TABLETS

A research was conducted to design a directly compressible filler binder characterized with rapid release and mouth disintegrating. Acacia gum was obtained from local source and was purified using a standard method. Tapioca starch was also extracted from cassava tuber using a standard method. Both primary excipients were evaluated for power properties and coprocessed at varying concentration using mixture of isopropranol and water at ratio 2:1. The various coprocessed placebo composite filler-binders (TSAG) were evaluated for granules and tablets properties. The composite containing 85 % tapioca starch and 15 % acacia gum (TSAG-15) have excellent flow rate, angle of repose, compressibility index and Hausner’s ratio: 25 g/s, 30^o, 17.3 %, and 1.2 respective. The placebo tablets of this composite was characterized with high functionality, when compressed at 6.5 KN, gave crushing strength of 102 N, friability of 1.12 %, disintegration time of 5-6 min. Ascorbic acid tablets compacted with the composite filler binder having 80 % TSAG-15 and 20 % ascorbic acid gave good compacts with average crushing strength of 60±0.5 N, friability of 1.2 % and average disintegrating time of 1 min 48 s. Since the compacts possessed acceptable tablet quality and met the condition for a mouth disintegrating tablet by disintegrating within 3 min. TSAG-15 is therefore acceptable for formulation of fast