Cargill (formerly known as Cerestar) has developed a new direct compressible starch that is said to combine strong binding capabilities and fast tablet disintegration with flowability that allows manufacturers to run tableting machines at a higher speed thus giving a greater output.
C*PharmGel DC 93000 is a white odourless powder comprised of agglomerated starch granules, which are light, regular and roughly spherical in shape. This unique composition and structure gives C*PharmGel DC a versatility that means it is suitable for direct compression as well as for granulation, says Cargill. Different processes such as fluid bed and high-shear granulation can be applied to obtain easily compressible granulates, yielding tablets with similar properties to those made by direct compression.
"When combined with acetaminophen, an active known for its poor compressibility, C*PharmGel DC proves to be an excellent binder," stated Liesbeth Meeus, senior application specialist pharma. "Also with other actives such as aspirin and ascorbic acid, our tests have shown that C*PharmGel DC can be used where a high dose of the active ingredient is needed giving still acceptable tablet strength and low friability."
C*PharmGel DC has a higher tensile strength than lactose, which has a positive influence on the tensile strength of tablets which also contain lactose. When it is added to either lactose or microcrystalline cellulose or in mixtures containing all three excipients, a low disintegration time is obtained. The fastest disintegration time is achieved when the formulation contains 35% to 70% C*PharmGel DC.
C*PharmGel DC 93000 is a partly pregelatinised starch especially designed for the pharmaceutical industry. It complies with the following monographs: Ph.Eur (starch, pregelatinised) USP/NF (pregelatinised starch) and JPE (Partly pregalatinised starch).
