Comparative evaluation of Compritol® HD5 ATO with Sodium Stearyl Fumarate and PEG 6000 as amphiphilic, hydrodispersible pharmaceutical lubricants

Abstract

Hydrophobic lubricants are commonly used to reduce the frictional forces generated during tableting but impart a hydrophobic film on the surface of the powder or granules. This negatively affects the performance properties of the resultant tablets by slowing disintegration and dissolution, which is especially problematic in the case of orally disintegrating tablets. In the present study a comparative evaluation of the lubricant capacity of Compritol® HD5 ATO was performed with commonly used amphiphilic lubricants, sodium stearyl fumarate and PEG 6000. The effect of concentration and mixing time of Compritol® HD5 ATO with the granulation, on material flow properties, tablet ejection force, hardness, disintegration time and rate of dissolution of paracetamol tablets was evaluated. The physical properties of the lubricants such as crystallinity, wettability, thermal behaviour and surface area were also measured. Compritol® HD5 ATO is crystalline, hydrodispersible and thermostable. It reduced the tablet ejection force, the desired hardness range was obtained at significantly lower compression forces and no significant effect of lubricant mixing time and concentration on the hardness and disintegration time of the tablets was observed when compared with Sodium stearyl fumarate and PEG 6000. Compritol® HD5 ATO was found to be an as effective a lubricant for a fast disintegrating paracetamol formulation containing microcrystalline cellulose, lactose and PVP prepared by wet granulation in comparison with sodium stearyl fumarate and PEG 6000.