EVALUATION OF THE COMPRESSION BEHAVIOR OF PARACETAMOL TABLETS PRODUCED BY DISPERSION IN BETA-CYCLODEXTRIN .1. SCANNING ELECTRON-MICROSCOPICSTUDY OF TABLETS

The compression behaviour of three powder products of Paracetamol-beta -cyclodextrin solid dispersions (PAR-beta-CD SD) and PAR alone were ev aluated using the method of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The fo ur powder products were: PAR, PAR-beta-CD physical mixture, kneaded so lid dispersion of PAR-beta-CD and spray dried solid dispersion of PAR- beta-CD (PAR-beta-CD ratio of 1:1 w/w). By observing the surface, side and broken surface of each tablet sample under different magnificatio ns the compression behaviour, mechanism of consolidation and deformabi lity of particles were evaluated. PAR alone and the PAR-beta-CD physic al mixture were compressed by the brittle fracture mechanism; the PAR- beta-CD kneaded solid dispersion showed a good plastical deformation. With PAR-beta-CD spray dried solid dispersion a good plastic deformati on and mechanism of cool sintering were postulated. The influence of b eta-CD on the compression behavior of the PAR was proved. The results obtained by the SEM method are well correlated with physicopharmaceuti cal parameters (crushing strength, disintegration time, friability, el astic recovery and tensile strength) of the tablets.