Abstract
The present work aims to reveal the pharma-industrial benefits of the use of hydrothermally synthesised titanate nanotube (TNT) carriers in the manufacturing of nano-sized active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Based on this purpose, the compressibility and compactibility of various APIs (diltiazem hydrochloride, diclofenac sodium, atenolol and hydrochlorothiazide) and their 1:1 composites formed with TNTs were investigated in a comparative study, using a Lloyd 6000R uniaxial press instrumented with a force gauge and a linear variable differential transformer extensometer. The tablet compression was performed without the use of any excipients, thus providing the precise energetic characterisation of the materials’ behaviour under pressure. In addition to the powder functionality test, the post-compressional properties of the tablets were also determined and evaluated. The results of the energetic analysis demonstrated that the use of TNTs as drug carriers is beneficial in every step of the tabletting process: besides providing better flowability and more favourable particle rearrangement, it highly decreases the elastic recovery of the APIs and results in ideal plastic deformation. Moreover, the post-compressional properties of the TNT–API composites were found to be exceptional (e.g., great tablet hardness and tensile strength), affirming the above results and proving the potential in the use of TNT carriers for drug manufacturing.
Highlights
Titanate nanotubes (TNTs) are recently explored nanomaterials with special physicochemical properties and versatile applicability, from engineering [1,2,3,4,5] to therapeutic use [6,7,8,9,10].Based on the synthesis method, two types of titanate nanotube (TNT) can be distinguished, anodized and hydrothermally synthesised, of which both have a particular tubular shape and show good physicochemical stability [11,12]
With the purpose of confirming the statement described above, the present study aimed to investigate the compressibility and compactibility of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs)–TNT composites, and reveal the advantages they can bring
The results indicate an opposing behaviour of the various APIs and the TNTs against compression
Summary
Titanate nanotubes (TNTs) are recently explored nanomaterials with special physicochemical properties and versatile applicability, from engineering [1,2,3,4,5] to therapeutic use [6,7,8,9,10]. Composite formation may offer the realisation of controlled drug release, due to the position of the API inside the tube and the bonds forming between the APIs and the TNTs as mentioned above Besides these approaches, another important aspect of the composites is worth pointing out: while the manufacturing of an API requires precise knowledge about powder properties and requires detailed investigations, API–TNT composites may ease and shorten the preformulation studies and make the tabletting process predictable, since the composites presumably will behave in spite of carrying different APIs. With the purpose of confirming the statement described above, the present study aimed to investigate the compressibility and compactibility of API–TNT composites, and reveal the advantages they can bring. Aspect of these composites, which may open new directions in the tabletting of nano-sized APIs
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