[Correlation between physical characteristics of sticks and quality of traditional Chinese medicine pills prepared by plastic molded method].
OBJECTIVE
To quantify the physical characteristics of sticks of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) honeyed pills prepared by the plastic molded method and the correlation of adhesiveness and plasticity-related parameters of sticks and quality of pills, in order to find major parameters and the appropriate range impacting pill quality.


METHODS
Sticks were detected by texture analyzer for their physical characteristic parameters such as hardness and compression action, and pills were observed by visual evaluation for their quality. The correlation of both data was determined by the stepwise discriminant analysis.


RESULTS
Stick physical characteristic parameter l(CD) can exactly depict the adhesiveness, with the discriminant equation of Y0 - Y1 = 6.415 - 41.594l(CD). When Y0 < Y1, pills were scattered well; when Y0 > Y1, pills were adhesive with each other. Pills' physical characteristic parameters l(CD) and l(AC), Ar, Tr can exactly depict smoothness of pills, with the discriminant equation of Z0 - Z1 = -195.318 + 78.79l(AC) - 3 258. 982Ar + 3437.935Tr. When Z0 < Z1, pills were smooth on surface. When Z0 > Z1, pills were rough on surface.


CONCLUSIONS
The stepwise discriminant analysis is made to show the obvious correlation between key physical characteristic parameters l(CD) and l(AC), Ar, Tr of sticks and appearance quality of pills, defining the molding process for preparing pills by the plastic molded and qualifying ranges of key physical characteristic parameters characterizing intermediate sticks, in order to provide theoretical basis for prescription screening and technical parameter adjustment for pills.
College of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China. wangling20005@126.com
Ling
L
Wang
Jiechen
J
Xian
Yanlong
Y
Hong
Xiao
X
Lin
Yi
Y
Feng
D004304:Dosage Forms; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry*; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional / Q000379:methods*; D010969:Plastics
D004304:Dosage Forms; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D010969:Plastics