Mechanochemical effect on swelling and drug release of natural polymer matrix tablets by X-ray computed tomography

Abstract

The relationships between the physicochemical properties of milled starch and drug release from tablets were investigated quantitatively using a drug release kinetic method and X-ray computed tomography (XCT). The samples were prepared from raw β-starch by milling in a planetary ball mill. The tablets, containing 5% theophylline (TH), 94% milled starch, and 1% magnesium stearate, were compressed at 6 kN. The drug-release and gel-forming processes were measured simultaneously using an original dissolution tester with an XCT instrument. Drug release from the tablet was delayed with increasing milling time, because the TH tablet formed a typical gel-layer on the outside of the tablet. The relationship between the crystallinity of milled starch and mean drug release time (MDT) for the TH tablets showed almost a straight inverse proportional relationship. The plots of MDT against area under the curve of the swelling ratio profiles of the TH tablets had a good straight line.