title: The influence of stevia on the flow, shear and compression behavior of sorbitol, a pharmaceutical excipient for direct compression.
abstract: Good flow and compaction properties are necessary for the manipulation of particulate material in the pharmaceutical industry. The influence of the addition of an alternative sweetener, rebaudioside A, in a concentration 0.2% w/w and 0.5% w/w on the flow, shear and compaction properties of sorbitol for direct compaction, Merisorb®200, was investigated in this work. Rebaudioside A worsened the flow properties of sorbitol: the Hausner ratio, the compressibility index and the mass flow rate through the aperture of a model hopper. Using a Jenike shear cell revealed a significant increase in cohesion leading to the decrease of the flow function; moreover, the addition of rebaudioside A increased the total energy for compression of tablets and plasticity estimated by the force-displacement method. Finally, the tablets showed a higher tensile strength and needed longer time to disintegrate compared to the tablets made of sorbitol itself. In view of the results for the free-flowable excipient, sorbitol, the effects of stevia even for a 0.2% w/w concentration have to be carefully considered, particularly whenever used in pharmaceutical formulations of poor flow properties.
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology , Charles University , Hradec Kralove , Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hurychová
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology , Charles University , Hradec Kralove , Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ondrejček
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology , Charles University , Hradec Kralove , Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Zdenka
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9314-705X
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Šklubalová
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology , Charles University , Hradec Kralove , Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Barbora
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vraníková
authors.affiliation: b Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Materials Science , University of Technology , Brno , Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Tomáš
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Svěrák
mesh_terms: D045786:Diterpenes, Kaurane / Q000737:chemistry; D004339:Drug Compounding / Q000379:methods; D005079:Excipients / Q000737:chemistry*; D011312:Pressure; D013012:Sorbitol / Q000737:chemistry*; D036625:Stevia / Q000737:chemistry*; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D013607:Tablets / Q000737:chemistry; D013678:Technology, Pharmaceutical / Q000379:methods; D013718:Tensile Strength
chemical_list: D045786:Diterpenes, Kaurane; D005079:Excipients; D013549:Sweetening Agents; D013607:Tablets; D013012:Sorbitol; C025474:rebaudioside A
keywords: Jenike shear tester; Sorbitol; flowability; force–displacement method; rebaudioside A; tablets