What's inside every Vitamin B17 tablet, capsule and how are they made?
Opting for high-quality ingredients and making an informed decision when purchasing vitamin B17.
Opting for high-quality ingredients and making an informed decision when purchasing vitamin B17.
In modern medicine, the easiest way to administer medication is through tablets or capsules. Tablets account for more than 80% of all forms of dosages administered, mostly due to their ease of manufacture, drug stability, and dosing convenience. To create tablets or capsules, there are different components that are necessary.
First, the manufacturing process must be determined. For capsules, the type of encapsulation needs to be decided. There are capsules with a specific pH outer coating, others are made from gelatin or plan derivatives. Once the capsule has been chosen, then the components can be determined. For tablets, there are three different techniques that can be used: wet granulation, dry granulation, and direct compression.
The techniques depend on the formulation and goals of the tablets. Some of the goals for a tablet manufacturing process are to develop tablets that are strong enough to withstand the packaging, shipping and dispensing process. The tablets need to be uniform within each lot created, each with uniform weight and composition. Finally, they need to create chemically and physically stable components that remain strong and viable over long periods of time. Once the goals have been determined, then the technique can be chosen.
Wet Granulation:
Wet granulation, the first method for creating tablets, requires a binder. A binder is an inactive ingredient, also known as an excipient, that holds the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and the rest of the components together. The APIs and the binder are mixed to create a damp mass which is then divided into pellets utilizing a mesh screen. The pellets are dried and then screened into adequate sizes. These pellets are then mixed with lubricants and disintegrants, which are then finally compressed into tablets.Dry Granulation:
The second method available for tablet manufacturing is dry granulation. This process works by compacting all the powder mixtures together and then breaking them down into granules. This method is typically utilized when the components already have sufficient binding properties and therefore do not require a binder, which would turn it into wet granulation. This method can also be useful for components that should not be exposed to high temperatures. In the wet granulation, heat is used to dry the granules after being mixed. Some components, due to their heat instability, cannot be exposed to high temperatures and therefore dry granulation would be the best option. Once all the powders are mixed, then they are compressed into slugs, and then sieved and compressed into tablets.Direct Compression:
The final method available is direct compression. This method is the most cost-effective way to create tablets, due to this process directly compressing all the powdered materials without changing anything else. All the components are mixed together (excipients, disintegrants, and lubricant) and are compressed directly into tablets. There are different factors that affect which method is utilized to develop tablets. The compression properties, physical and chemical stability of the API are the main factors to be considered.
Formulation
Formulation
In this formulation we have an API (Apricot Kernel Extract 98% Amygdalin), a filler (Microcrystalline Cellulose and Dicalcium Phosphate), and a lubricant (Magnesium Stearate). This formulation allows for the successful tableting of our products, as well as enhancing its bioavailability and absorption into the body.
There are six different types of ingredients in tablets or capsules that can be utilized, depending on the method chosen. We have already mentioned binders, also known as excipients, which are inactive ingredients that hold all the components together. Then we have disintegrants (or superdisintegrant) which are excipients that make the tablets disintegrate faster once ingested and allows for the bioavailability of the medication. The filler-diluent increases the volume of the tablet, making the tablet more manageable for consumption.
The coating of the tablet protects the tablet from moisture before being ingested, it also provides a pleasant taste. The lubricant improves the flow in the tableting process and allows for the powder to not get stuck in the machines used. Solubilizer is an excipient that allows for drug stability and effectiveness of the drug. Finally, we have the active ingredient, which is the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API), "Amygdalin" is the main ingredient in the tablet. This ingredient is the reason why the tablet is being consumed, but for this ingredient to work fully, we need every other excipient to allow for bioavailability of the ingredient and its effectiveness.
We will now discuss some of the more popular excipients in tablets, such as Microcrystalline cellulose, Dicalcium phosphate dihydrate, and Magnesium Stearate.
Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC)
Microcrystalline cellulose is a white, crystalline powder that is made up of agglomerated porous particles and is typically used as a filler in direct compression of tablets. It is popular due to its compatibility at low pressures and its high dilution potential. Some other properties that make it a good binder/filler are its moisture content, its particle size, bulk density and surface area. It is also compatible with most drugs, which is an important characteristic of microcrystalline cellulose. The only issue that might present itself with microcrystalline cellulose is that it can cause poor flow when mixing all components together, but this can be easily offset by using another filler that will enhance flowability. A good filler that pairs well with microcrystalline cellulose is Dicalcium Phosphate Dihydrate.Dicalcium Phosphate Dihydrate
Dicalcium phosphate is increasingly being used in pharmaceutical products due to its low cost, enhanced flow, and compression characteristics. This excipient is typically utilized as a filler or binder and can be combined with other excipients, such as magnesium stearate, without having any effects on its binding properties.Magnesium Stearate (MS)
Magnesium Stearate is a salt that is manufactured by a reaction between fatty acid salts and inorganic salts. Magnesium Stearate has been utilized since the 19th century in dosages and is the most commonly used lubricant. It is typically effective at low concentrations, reduces friction during compaction of tablets in machinery, enhances flow, and it does not get stuck in the machinery. MS has a polar head and a fatty acid tail. Its polar head adheres to granules and particles, while its fatty acid tail orients away from the particle’s surface. This creates a waxy layer around particles, which then protects particles from water penetration. This is a great characteristic necessary for tablets, as we need tablets to not dissolve before being ingested and to be protected against water penetration. MS may also adsorb onto metal surfaces which then reduces friction between the powder and a metal surface, which allows for a flow enhancement and facilitates excipient mixing and tableting. However, it is important to note that too much MS in formulation can interfere with the compaction of the excipients, as too much MS will cause a more complete waxy film around the powder which would then interfere with particle bonding. Additionally, too much MS would then protect the powder too much from water penetration which reduces the tablets ability to dissolve when ingested. Once the tablet is consumed, this product would require disintegrants to allow it to dissolve when ingested.In this article we have discussed the three different methods for creating tablets (wet granulation, dry granulation and direct compression), as well as the different excipients needed to successfully create tablets, and finally mentioned three of the most popular excipients on the market.
Tablets and capsules are very similar, they are both taken orally and are easier to take than Injectables. When you swallow a tablet it will start to dissolve in the stomach if not coated and then in the intestine, if it is coated it will start to dissolve in the intestine, then it will travel across the gut and into the bloodstream before seeking out their target receptors. So we are going to talk about the key differences between tablets an capsules
A tablet is made by compresing the active ingredient in the form of powder with a binder subtance that will help the tablet be formed with the desired shape and size.
Advantages of tablets:
Capsules contain its active ingredients inside an outer shell
Advantages of capsules:
References:
How tablets are manufactured
https://thomasprocessing.com/how-tablets-are-manufactured/Capsule manufacturing process
https://sedpharma.com/news-events/capsule-manufacturing-process/Disintegrants – Pharmaceutical Excipients
https://www.pharmaexcipients.com/disintegrants/“An overview of the different excipients useful for the direct compression of tablets” by Mira Jivraj, Luigi G. Martini, and Carol M. Thomson
“Biopharmaceutical aspects and implications of excipient variability in drug product performance” by P. Zarmpi, T. Flanagan, E. Meehan, J. Mann, N. Fotaki
“Magnesium Stearate - Its Importance and Potential Impact on Dissolution of Oral Solid Dosage Forms” by R. Christian Moreton
“Evaluation of the Impact of the Concentration and Mixing Time of Magnesium Stearate in Tablet Formulations - A design of Experiment (DOE) Approach” by Carin Siow, Kwan Hang Lam, and Bing Xun Tan
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