Evaluation of rapidly disintegrating tablets prepared by a direct compression method

To make rapidly disintegrating tablets with sufficient mechanical integrity as well as a pleasant taste, microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), Tablettose (IT), and crosslinked sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (Ac-di-sol) or erythri tol (ET) were formulated. Tablets were made by a direct compression method (1). Tablet properties such as porosity, tensile strength, and disintegrati on time were determined. The tensile strength and disintegration time were selected as response variables, tablet porosity and parameters representing the characteristics of formulation were selected as controlling factors, a nd their relation was determined by the polynomial regression method. Respo nse surface plots and contour plots of tablet tensile strength and disinteg ration time were also constructed The optimum combination of tablet porosit y and formulation was obtained by superimposing the contour diagrams of tab let tensile strength and disintegration time. Rapidly disintegrating tablet s with durable structure and desirable taste could be prepared within the o btained optimum region.