The effect of particle size on the physical characteristics and drug-release behavior of mini-tablets

This study aimed to investigate the influence of particle size of the excipients on the behavior of mini-tablets in terms of physical characteristics and drug release profiles. Material and methods: All of the mini-tablets based on HPMC, PEG 6K and PEO 8M PVP produced high quality mini-tablets from both sieve fractions while 90F was very fragile. Results: Crushing strength values were the most pronounced difference between the mini-tablets from all formulations. The PEO 8M-based mini-tablets showed the highest values and deformation behavior instead of fracture. Water absorption and drug release profiles also showed intriguing and different results between the various formulations. Conclusion: The results suggested that even though different particle size has limited effect on the physical characteristic of the product, it may have a significant effect on its drug dissolution profile. HIGHLIGHTS The particle size of powders or granules can influence the physical properties and release profiles of tablets, particularly mini-tablets PEG 6K and PEO 8M mini-tablets from the larger sieve fraction variation absorbed less moisture and released drugs faster than their counterparts, whereas HPMC and PVP 90F mini-tablets from both sieve fractions exhibited a similar pattern in terms of moisture uptake and drug release profiles PEO 8M mini-tablets of both sieve fractions displayed almost linear release profiles with the highest crushing strength than the rest of the formulations