Functionality of cross-linked polyvinylpyrrolidone as a spheronization aid: a promising alternative to microcrystalline cellulose.
OBJECTIVE
This work seeks to explore and demonstrate the functionality of cross-linked polyvinylpyrrolidone (crospovidone) as a spheronization aid and a promising alternative to microcrystalline cellulose (MCC).


METHODS
Pellets were prepared with various grades of crospovidone using both small- and large-scale extrusion-spheronization. A Box-Behnken experimental design was employed to elucidate the effects of operating variables on the quality of the pellets. Size and shape analyses of these pellets were conducted and compared to those prepared using MCC.


RESULTS
Crospovidone was believed to behave like a liquid repository in its interaction with water during extrusion-spheronization, although its binding ability was weaker than that of MCC. Spherical pellets of narrow size distribution could be made from the finer crospovidone grades with different lactose grades. However, crospovidone-based formulations required higher water levels than weight-equivalent MCC-based formulations. Crospovidone pellets were of equivalent quality to those prepared with MCC, especially in the shape, size, and yield.


CONCLUSIONS
Crospovidone can be successfully employed as a spheronization aid to produce good pellets without the need of a binder, unlike most of the previously proposed materials. This study exemplified the enormous potential of crospovidone to serve as a competent alternative to MCC in the production of pellets by extrusion-spheronization.
Liew
Celine V
CV
National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Gu
Li
L
Soh
Josephine L P
JL
Heng
Paul W S
PW
D002482:Cellulose / Q000737:chemistry*; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; D002627:Chemistry, Physical; D004339:Drug Compounding; D005079:Excipients / Q000737:chemistry*; D008863:Microspheres; D010316:Particle Size; D011205:Povidone / Q000737:chemistry*; D011786:Quality Control; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012212:Rheology
D005079:Excipients; D002482:Cellulose; D011205:Povidone; C109691:microcrystalline cellulose