RECENT NOVEL ADVANDCEMENTS IN PELLET FORMULATION: A REVIEW

Pelletization can be defined as an agglomeration process that converts fine powders or particles of a bulk drug and excipients into small, free-flowing, more or less spherical units, called pellets. The size of the pellets is 0.5-2mm. Pellets have the free flowing capacity and have low porosity about 10%. Preparation methods include direct pelletizing,powder layering,Suspension or Solution layering, pelletization by extrusion and spheronization, spherical agglomeration, compression/balling,Cryo pelletization,melt spheronization, globulation or droplet formation, fluid bed coating. Pellets  have various advantages when  compare to  normal conventional dosage forms, like they help in giving accurate dosage to the paediatrics and geriatrics and even to the bed ridden persons,reduces peak plasma fluctuation, Minimize potential side effects without  lowering bioavailability, avoiding  high local concentration, Less susceptible dose dumping. At present usage of pellets has increased largely due to their advantages and there novel approaches, the novel approaches of pellets includes; 1). They help in preparation of modified release multiple dosage form with different release patterns like immediate and sustained release pattern, 2) They help in taste masking of the drugs which are bitter in taste, 3) They are available as mouth melt pellets, 4) Polymer based pellets for control release pattern of drug, 5) As fast dissolving tablets containing micro pellets, 6) As   a self-emulsifying   pellets, 7) Gastro retentive floating pellets etc. Thus, the usage of pellets provides novel approaches to the patients in providing accurate, and easy in administrating the dosage form.