Combination of a hot-melt subcoating and an enteric coating for moisture protection of hygroscopic Sennae fructus tablets.

The objective of this study was to investigate the efficiency of moisture protection of hot-melt coatings solely and in combination with an enteric coating on hygroscopic tablet cores containing a spray-dried Sennae fructus extract. Tablet cores were subcoated with different hot-melt coating materials: medium chain tryglycerides, stearic acid, Precirol ATO 5, and Compritol 888 ATO, at varying amounts and coated with Eudragit L 30D-55 for enteric resistance. Subcoating penetration, tablet disintegration, dissolution times, tablet hygroscopicity, and tablet properties such as weight, height, diameter, and hardness were analyzed.

Factors influencing the properties and the stability of spray-dried Sennae fructus extracts.

Objective: The objective of this study was to characterize the properties of aqueous Sennae fructus extracts prepared by spray-drying at varying process conditions.

Significance: From an industrial point of view it is essential to develop a formulation which has a constant quality over the whole period of its specified shelf-life.

Method: Sennae fructus extracts were spray-dried with different atomizing gas pressures, pump feed rates, and inlet temperatures.