Structural investigation of spherical hollow excipient Mannit Q by X-ray microtomography.
The structure of Mannit Q particles, an excipient made by spray-drying a d-mannitol solution, and Mannit Q tablets were investigated by synchrotron X-ray microtomography. The Mannit Q particles had a spherical shape with a hollow core. The shells of the particles consisted of fine needle-shaped crystals, and columnar crystals were present in the hollows. These structural features suggested the following formation mechanism for the hollow particles:during the spray-drying process, the solvent rapidly evaporated from the droplet surface, resulting in the formation of shells made of fine needle-shaped crystals.Solvent remaining inside the shells then evaporated slowly and larger columnar crystals grew as the hollows formed. Although most of the Mannit Q particles were crushed on tableting, some of the particles retained their hollow structures, probably because the columnar crystals inside the hollows functioned as props. This demonstrated that the tablets with porous void spaces may be readily manufactured using Mannit Q.
Graduate Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan.
Ryusuke
R
Kajihara
Graduate Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan.
Shuji
S
Noguchi
Graduate Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan.
Yasunori
Y
Iwao
Center for Technical Development and Application, Mitsubishi Shoji Foodtech Co., Ltd., 2-159 Shimada-cho, Fuji-city, Shizuoka 417-0033, Japan.
Yuki
Y
Yasuda
Center for Technical Development and Application, Mitsubishi Shoji Foodtech Co., Ltd., 2-159 Shimada-cho, Fuji-city, Shizuoka 417-0033, Japan.
Megumi
M
Segawa
Graduate Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, 52-1 Yada, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8526, Japan. Electronic address: s-itai@u-shizuoka-ken.ac.jp.
Shigeru
S
Itai
D003460:Crystallization; D005079:Excipients / Q000737:chemistry*; D008353:Mannitol / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D013607:Tablets; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography
D005079:Excipients; D013607:Tablets; D008353:Mannitol
Computed microtomography; Excipient particle; Mannitol; Synchrotron X-ray radiation; Tablet