Production Of Tablets Research Articles

Improvement of dissolution profile of eplerenone with solidified self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (S-SEDDS)

Context Eplerenone is a member of antihypertensives used individually or in combination with other medicines. Eplerenone exhibits poor solubility and is considered a class II drug. Objective Increasing the solubility of eplerenone by using both liquid and solid self-emulsifying drug delivery systems as an alternative to its marketed tablet product. Methods Solubility studies of eplerenone were done with different oils, surfactants, and co-surfactants to determine which one has the highest solubility for eplerenone and determine the preference in the formulations of liquid self-emulsifying drug delivery system. The solidification process was carried out with the adsorption to solid carrier method. Optimal ratios of components were specified with the pseudo-ternary phase diagram technique. Self-emulsifying drug delivery system formulations were characterized in terms of chemical interaction, droplet size/distribution, crystallization behaviors, and rheological evaluation. In vitro drug release studies were conducted and compared to pure drugs and marketed products. Results The solubility screening results showed high solubility of EPL in triacetin (11.99 mg/mL) as oil, Kolliphor®EL (≈ 2.65 mg/mL), and Tween80 (≈ 1.91 mg/mL) as surfactant and polyethylene glycol 200 (PEG200) (≈ 8.50 mg/mL), dimethyl sulfoxide (≈ 7.57 mg/mL), TranscutolP (≈ 6.03 mg/mL) as co-surfactant, respectively. Rheology studies revealed that liquid self-emulsifying drug delivery formulations exhibited non-Newtonian pseudoplastic flow. Conclusion Solid self-emulsifying drug delivery systems prepared with Aerosil and Neusilin have shown tremendous improvement in terms of eplerenone dissolution by releasing the entire dose with boosted effect within 5 and 30 min respectively compared to the marketed product and pure eplerenone (p < 0.05).

A dynamic model of tablet film coating processes for control system design

Aqueous film coating is a common and important step in the production of most pharmaceutical tablets. Controlling this process is beneficial to maintain stable and optimal operation and the use of a model capable of describing its main physical phenomena is fundamental for control system design. This paper presents the development of a dynamic macro scale model of a pan coater based on energy and mass transfer equations. Model complexity is kept low to simplify parameterization and allow for real-time applications, such as the development of system observers to estimate critical unmeasured variables. Pilot plant data from seven batches, ran according to designed experiments, are used for model calibration and validation. The final model adequately captures the global trajectories of the main process variables; mean differences between experimental and simulated values are below 2 °C for the outlet gas and tablet bed temperatures, and 2% for the outlet gas relative humidity.

Are pediatrics taking the prescribed tablet dosage form? Practices of off-label tablet modification in pediatric wards: A prospective observational study

Tablet manipulation (modification) is a practice where the licensed tablet product is customized into reduced fractions of doses or changed into dispersions using solvents because of suitable dose for paediatrics and neonates are frequently unavailable. As a result, unlicensed dosage form frequently used after manipulation, outside what is approved by drug regulatory authorities. ObjectiveTo assess the practice of off-label tablet manipulation in pediatric and neonatal wards at selected public hospitals in Ethiopia. MethodsA prospective, direct observational approach was used to investigate the frequency, nature and appropriateness of tablet manipulations in neonatal and pediatrics patients of two public hospitals of Ethiopia from April 12, to June 30, 2021. ResultsDuring the study period a total of 303 tablet manipulations were observed. Two hundred nine (69%) of tablets were dispensed to pediatric patients to be taken after split into lower strengths. The remaining nighty four (31%) tablets were manipulated into dispersion using 0.9% normal saline as a main solvent. Interestingly, 48 (15.8%) of tablet manipulations into dispersions involved practically insoluble drugs whose manipulation may probably affect their bioavailability. In 12.5% (12/94) dispersion manipulations, large undissolved fractions were observed during administration through naso-gastric tubes. The most commonly manipulated tablets were drugs for central nervous system (n = 135, 44.6%) followed by cardiovascular drugs (n = 85, 28%). Conclusionsand recommendations: The study revealed the off-label use of tablets for pediatrics age groups is very common in Ethiopia. Evidence-based guidelines for tablet manipulations should be practiced to improve the safety of paediatric drug use. As for policy implication, this study concurs with previous scientific recommendations that manufacturers introduce a wide range of dosage forms to reduce the need for manipulations.

3D printing of amorphous solid dispersions: A comparison of fused deposition modeling and drop-on-powder printing

Nowadays, a high number of pipeline drugs are poorly soluble and require solubility enhancement by e.g., manufacturing of amorphous solid dispersion. Pharmaceutical 3D printing has great potential in producing amorphous solid oral dosage forms. However, 3D printing techniques differ greatly in terms of processing as well as tablet properties. In this study, an amorphous formulation, which had been printed via Fused Deposition Modeling and drop-on-powder printing, also known as binder jetting, was characterized in terms of solid-state properties and physical stability. Solid state assessment was performed by differential scanning calorimetry, powder X-ray diffraction and polarized microscopy. The supersaturation performance of the amorphous solid dispersion was assessed via non-sink dissolution. We further evaluated both 3D printing techniques regarding their processability as well as tablet uniformity in terms of dimension, mass and content. Challenges and limitations of each 3D printing technique were discussed. Both techniques are feasible for the production of amorphous formulations. Results indicated that Fused Deposition Modeling is better suited for production, as the recrystallization tendency was lower. Still, filament production and printing presented a major challenge. Drop-on-powder printing can be a viable alternative for the production of amorphous tablets, when a formulation is not printable by Fused Deposition Modeling.

Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose as Hydrogel Matrix and Citric Acid-Locust Bean Gum as Negative Matrix for Controlled Release Tablet.

Purpose: This study aimed at determining the optimum concentration of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) as hydrogel matrix and citric acid-locust bean gum (CA-LBG) as negative matrix for controlled release tablet formulation. In addition, the study was to determine the effect of CA-LBG and HPMC. CA-LBG accelerates the disintegration of tablets into granules so that the HPMC granule matrix swells immediately and controls drug release. The advantage of this method is that the tablets do not produce large HPMC gel lumps without drug (ghost matrix) but form HPMC gel granules, which can be rapidly degraded after all of the drug is released. Methods : The experiment followed the simplex lattice design to obtain the optimum tablet formula with CA-LBG and HPMC concentrations as optimization factors. Tablet production by the wet granulation method and ketoprofen is the model of the active ingredient. The kinetics of ketoprofen release was studied using several models. Results : Based on the coefficients of each polynomial equation that HPMC and CA-LBG increased the value of angle of repose (29.91:27.87), tap index (18.99:18.77), hardness (13.60:13.32), friability (0.41:0.73), and release of ketoprofen (52.48:99.44). Interaction of HPMC and CA-LBG increased the value of angle of repose (3.25), tap index (5.64), and hardness (2.42). Interaction of HPMC and CA-LBG too decreased the friability value (-1.10) and release of ketoprofen (-26.36). The Higuchi, Korsmeyer-Peppas, and Hixson-Crowell model is the kinetics of eight experimental tablet formulas. Conclusions : The optimum concentrations of HPMC and CA-LBG for controlled release tablets are 32.97 and 17.03%, respectively. HPMC, CA-LBG, and a combination of both affect the physical quality of tablet and tablet mass. CA-LBG is a new excipient candidate that can control drug release from tablets by the matrix disintegration mechanism on the tablet.

Production of Bi-Compartmental Tablets by FDM 3D Printing for the Withdrawal of Diazepam

Diazepam (DZP) is a long-acting benzodiazepine to treat anxiety or acute alcohol withdrawal. Although this class of drugs should be taken for a short period of time, many patients take them for longer than recommended, which has been linked to an increased risk of dementia and dependence. The present work aimed at using the dual-nozzle system of fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printers to prepare tablets with gradual doses of DZP with constant mass and size. Placebo and DZP-loaded filaments were prepared by hot-melt extrusion and used to print the bi-compartmental tablets. Thermal processing allowed the conversion of crystalline DZP to its amorphous counterpart. Tablets with different DZP contents were effectively printed with a mass, thickness and diameter average of 111.6 mg, 3.1 mm, and 6.4 mm, respectively. Microscopic data showed good adhesion between the different layers in the printed tablets. The desired drug contents were successfully achieved and were within the acceptance criteria (European Pharmacopeia). The combination of a placebo and drug-loaded extrudates proved to be beneficial in the production of tablets by FDM for patients in need of drug withdrawal.

An update on advancements in tablet tooling technology

The pharmaceutical companies are paying more attention to tablet tooling to establish a strong brand identity for their tablet products and to maintain the quality of tablets, while at the same time ensuring that the design can function in a high speed tablet production environment. Advanced tablet tooling design has the potential to produce robust tablets using high speed tablet press minimizing the production cost. Innovative tooling design mainly relies on modification of the punches and dies. A recent advanced tooling design includes multi-tip punches and dies table segments which are more efficient and increases the productivity of tablets. On the other hand, quick-release tooling is engineered to test different dwell times during the research process and to resolve the operational differences. Other developments like various punch and die configurations, and coated punches are responsible for maintaining the quality of tablets as well as extending the tool life. This article highlights the various tooling considerations and also includes innovative approaches to tooling solutions.

A review on spherical crystallization: A novel technique in the field of particle engineering

In the production of tablets, the direct compression method is mostly used. In comparison to the traditional wet granulation approach, this cannot be used with sensitive pharmaceuticals and also has a lot more processing limitations. Spherical agglomeration is a novel method for creating pharmaceutical dosage forms that are immediately compressible, the process of spherical agglomeration, which improves the powder's qualities such as particle size, shape, flow characteristics, solubility, and bioavailability of pharmaceutical medicinal ingredients, includes transforming tiny crystals into a spherical shape. The spherical crystallization was improved for use with hydrophilic polymers in order to improve the dissolution properties of pharmaceuticals that are poorly water-soluble. The flow characteristics, particle size analysis, compression, and dissolution behaviour of the spherical agglomerates were also improved. Wet spherical agglomeration (WSA) and the quasiemulsion solvent diffusion method (QESD) are the two most used methods for crystallizing spheres. Additionally, these approaches have two additions: the ammonia diffusion system (ADS) and crystallo-coagglomeration (CCA).The neutralization technique is another method used in this procedure. Any of the aforementioned methods can be employed simultaneously for both crystallization and agglomeration. The crystal physical characteristics, including their shape, polymorphism detection using x-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and thermodynamic characteristics using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), were examined.

Bilayer Tablet Technology: A Concept Of Immediate And Controlled Drug Delivery

Combination therapy has more popularity and various merits over monotherapy (conventional dosage forms). Bilayer tablet technology is the best and most recent used example of combination dosage formulation. In the last decade, the single-dose formulation has the combination of two or three active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) increased in pharmaceutical industry. It is known for promoting patient convenience and compliance by reducing the number of dosages and enhancing the bioavailability of dosage forms. Bilayer or multilayer tablets are innovative forms of conventional oral drug delivery systems. Bilayer layer can be the only technology that has been used in different APIs for synergistic effect, to enhance the bioavailability or to avoid the interaction between the incompatible substance by separating them physically, and to enable the development of different drug release profiles (sustained release or controlled release, etc). The goal of this review is to give a general overview of the development and production of bilayer tablet technology and to highlight the issues encountered during the production of bilayer tablets as well as the expected solutions to these problems.

Developing a Virtual Flowability Sensor for Monitoring a Pharmaceutical Dry Granulation Line

Current technologies to measure granule flowability involve at-line methods that can take hours to perform. This is problematic for a continuous dry granulation tableting line, where the quality assurance and control of the final tablet products depend on real-time monitoring and control of powder flowability. Hence, a real-time alternative is needed for measuring the flowability of the granular products coming out of the roller compactor, which is the unit operation immediately preceding the tablet press. Since particle analyzers have the potential to take inline measurements of the size and shape of granules, they can potentially serve as real-time flowability sensors, given that the size and shape measurements can be used to reliably predict flowability measurements.This paper reports on the use of Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression to utilize distributions of size and shape measurements in predicting the output of three different types of flowability measurements: rotary drum flow, orifice flow, and tapped density analysis. The prediction performance of PLS had a coefficient of determination ranging from 0.80 to 0.97, which is the best reported performance in the literature. This is attributed to the ability of PLS to handle high collinearity in the datasets and the inclusion of multiple shape characteristics—eccentricity, form factor, and elliptical form factor—into the model. The latter calls for a change in industry perspective, which normally dismisses the importance of shape in favor of size; and the former suggests the use of PLS as a better way to reduce the dimensionality of distribution datasets, instead of the widely used practice of pre-selecting distribution percentiles.

Teman (Tablet Effervescent Manggis) Pengembangan Dan Pengolahan Ekstrak Kulit Manggis Menjadi Effervescent Sebagai Suplement Kesehatan ditinjau dari Value Propotion Canvas dan Lean Canvas

Indonesia is one of the strategic markets for the world's health and food supplement industry. And along with the increase in people's purchasing power, the consumption of health supplements is also becoming a trend. And currently, mangosteen fruit extract is processed and marketed in conventional forms, ranging from syrups to capsules and another inefficient packaging. The business model for making mangosteen fruit extract into an effervescent tablet product is currently not available on the market, so producing it can be a business opportunity. The system development method used in this research uses the lean canvas method as business analysis. By applying lean canvas, it can make it easier for makers to carry out the validation process because they can see the overall business model, reducing the risks of doing business. This is done because the product offered is new

Analysis of the Effect of Usability, Trust, and Risk Perception on Buying Interest in the Purchase Category of Mobile and Tablet Products through the ABC Application

The rapid growth in the number of online users is not directly proportional to the increase in online sales of gadgets (mobile phones and tablets) which have stagnated with a declining trend. This study was conducted with the aim of analyzing the effect of usability, trust, and perceived risk on purchase intention. This research uses the causal research method and descriptive analysis. Meanwhile, examining all research problems is done by distributing questionnaires in several places. The scale used in this measurement uses a Likert scale. The population in this study is ABC application users. Then the sampling method is probability sampling (random sampling) with the sampling method using a random sampling technique. The data in this study uses Partial Least Square (PLS) analysis with the help of the SmarPLS version 3.0 program. The results of the study show that: 1) Ease of use, easy to understand, and can provide benefits for an application proven to have a positive and significant effect on purchase intention, 2) Consumer trust is proven to have a positive and significant influence on purchase intention, and 3) Risk is proven to have a positive influence on purchase intention. negative and significant to purchase intention.

Optimization of Pregelatinized Taro Boloso‐I Starch as a Direct Compression Tablet Excipient

Background. Tablets are still the most preferred means of drug delivery. The search for new and improved direct compression tablet excipients is an area of research focus. This is because the direct compression method overcomes the drawbacks of granulation methods of tablet production. It exempts several treatment steps associated with the granulation methods. The requirements for the powders to be directly compressible include flowability, low friction tendency, compressibility, and fast disintegration capacity. Taro Boloso‐I is a new variety of Colocasia esculenta (L. Schott) yielding 67% more than a previously reported variety (Godare) in Ethiopia. This study is aimed at enhancing the flowability while keeping the compressibility and compactibility of the pregelatinized Taro Boloso‐I starch. Methods. Central composite design was used for the optimization of two factors which were the temperature and duration of pregelatinization against 4 responses. The responses were angle of repose, Hausner’s ratio, Heckel’s yield pressure, and tablet breaking force. Results and Discussions. An increase in the temperature resulted in decrease in both the angle of repose and the Hausner ratio and that of time decreased angle of repose as well. The Heckel yield pressure was observed to increase with increasing levels of both temperature and time. The pregelatinized starch prepared by heating 15% slurry of Taro Boloso‐I starch at the pregelatinization temperature of 66.22°C for 20 min showed desired flow property and compressibility. Conclusions. Pregelatinized Taro Boloso‐I starch could be regarded as a potential direct compression excipient in terms of flowability, compressibility, and compactibility. The PGTBIS could perform better as filler and binder in direct compression tablets than the Starch 1500® in terms of compactibility.

Deep learning algorithm based tablet drug screening system

At present, the world's major pharmaceutical companies often identify defective tablets by visual inspection, but because of the fatigue of staff and the human eye's recognition limit of tiny parts, so there are often missed inspection, inefficient inspection phenomenon.^[1] How to effectively monitor and ensure more qualified inspection rate in the inspection activities, which is the current problems encountered by pharmaceutical companies. How to efficiently detect and maintain a high detection rate in the testing process, which is currently the difficulties faced by pharmaceutical companies. In order to improve the service quality of the company, the adoption of machine inspection and sorting technology to replace manual inspection and sorting has become a trend. ^[2]Therefore, after systematic research, we obtained a method for monitoring surface defects of tablet products based on convolutional neural network. Using this method, we developed a tablet screening technique for surface defects, which significantly improved the accuracy and efficiency of surface defect detection.

Screening of lubricants towards their applicability for external lubrication

Internal lubrication is associated with decreasing tensile strength and prolonged disintegration. These effects can be minimized using external lubrication. In current study, six lubricants (magnesium stearate, sodium stearyl fumarate, stearic acid, glyceryl dibehenate, poloxamer 188 and sucrose monopalmitate) were processed with an external lubrication system implemented in a compaction simulator. The effect of process parameters related to the tableting process (main compaction pressure and tableting speed) and external lubrication system (spraying time, atomizing pressure and dust extraction system) on the responses was studied for a placebo formulation (80% mannitol – 20% microcrystalline cellulose). Internally lubricated blends (0.75 – 4%) were processed as reference. All lubricants proved successful in reducing ejection forces through external lubrication while yielding substantially lower lubricant concentrations compared to internal lubrication. No negative effect of external lubrication on tensile strength and disintegration time was observed, irrespective of lubricant type. Similar tensile strengths and disintegration times were measured for the different lubricants. This was in contrast to internal lubrication where a decrease in tensile strength and prolonged disintegration was generally observed. Additionally, the lubricant types affected tensile strength and disintegration differently. This study demonstrates the versatility of external lubrication as an alternative lubrication method for production of pharmaceutical tablets.

Quantitative Analysis of Bisacurone in Turmeric by HPLC Using Relative Molar Sensitivity

A novel method was developed for quantification of bisacuron (BC) and dehydrozingerone (DZ), the functional component of turmeric (Curcuma longa.L)-containing foods, using a relative molar sensitivity (RMS) method based on the combination of HPLC-UV and 1H-NMR. The RMSs of BC and DZ using 4-hydroxybenzoic acid ethyl ester (HBE) as the internal standard were calculated to 1.66 and 2.55, respectively. Analysis of fourteen beverage products showed the high correlations between the concentrations of BC and DZ quantified by the RMS method and those quantified by absolute calibration curve method. A collaborative study was conducted by four laboratories on one beverage and one tablet products. The repeatable relative standard deviation (RSDr) of intra-laboratories ranged from 0.7 to 1.7%, and the reproducible relative standard deviation (RSDR) of inter-laboratories ranged from 2.0 to 7.3%. The RMS method enabled the quantification of analytes for which difficultly obtain standard materials such as BC and DZ, using an internal standard for which obtain routinely readily available. This RMS method is expected to be applied to quality control for food products containing turmeric.

Drop-on-powder 3D printing of amorphous high dose oral dosage forms: Process development, opportunities and printing limitations

Drop-on-powder 3D printing is able to produce highly drug loaded solid oral dosage forms. However, this technique is mainly limited to well soluble drugs. The majority of pipeline compounds is poorly soluble, though, and requires solubility enhancement, e.g., via formation of amorphous solid dispersions. This study presents a detailed and systematic development approach for the production of tablets containing high amounts of a poorly soluble, amorphized drug via drop-on-powder 3D printing (also known as binder jetting). Amorphization of the compound was achieved via hot-melt extrusion using the exemplary system of the model compound ketoconazole and copovidone as matrix polymer at drug loadings of 20% and 40%. The milled extrudate was used as powder for printing and the influence of inks and different ink-to-powder ratios on recrystallization of ketoconazole was investigated in a material-saving small-scale screening. Crystallinity assessment was performed using differential scanning calorimetry and polarized light microscopy to identify even small traces of crystallinity. Printing of tablets showed that the performed small-scale screening was capable to identify printing parameters for the development of amorphous and mechanically stable tablets via drop-on-powder printing. A stability study demonstrated physically stable tablets over twelve weeks at accelerated storage conditions.

Reconciling sprinkle administration information in approved NDA labeling with sprinkle bioequivalence study recommendations in FDA product-specific guidances for generic drug development

Objectives: Certain patient populations (e.g., children and the elderly) may not be able to swallow solid oral dosage forms. In the absence of availability of a dosage form that is appropriate for these patient groups, liquids and/ or soft foods as described in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved product labeling can be used as a suitable vehicle(s) for oral administration of the specific drug product. The approved labeling of some new drug application (NDA) products contains information for sprinkle administration on liquids or soft foods. Since abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) products must demonstrate bioequivalence (BE) to the reference listed drug (RLD) products, and since the generic drug labeling is the same as RLD, generic applicants are recommended to conduct in vivo BE sprinkle study using one of the soft foods mentioned in RLD labeling. The current FDA guidance specifically recommends that generic applicants conduct a sprinkle BE study if the labeling of a modified-release (MR) RLD product states that the product can be administered sprinkled on soft foods. For ANDAs, such recommendations for in vivo BE sprinkle studies for MR products are routinely communicated in the respective product-specific guidance (PSG) published by FDA and readily available for prospective ANDA applicants. FDA guidance does not recommend sprinkle BE study for an immediate-release (IR) product since the formulation differences between IR generic and RLD products are not expected to impact administration with food vehicle. Materials and Methods: FDALabel and PSG databases were searched for current NDAs with sprinkle labeling and individual PSGs with recommendations for an in vivo sprinkle BE study, respectively. Results from FDALabel were narrowed to NDAs for oral solid dosage forms with approved labeling for sprinkle administration on food vehicles. Only MR NDAs with sprinkle labeling were included in the final analysis as recommended by FDA for inclusion of in vivo sprinkle BE study recommendations in PSGs for generic products. We searched the FDA external PSG database for availability of respective PSGs containing in vivo sprinkle study recommendations for those MR products with approved NDA labeling for sprinkle administration. Results: Of the 57 NDAs with FDA-approved drug products that are labeled to include sprinkle administration, 45 NDAs were MR (tablet, capsule, and granule) products. Forty-two (93%) of the 45 MR products have PSGs with in vivo sprinkle BE study recommendations. Standardized data extraction sheets created by Microsoft Excel 2019 for data extraction were utilized. Conclusion: FDA has a sprinkle-study PSG for almost all currently approved MR NDAs. The results of our study show that in vivo BE study recommendations in PSGs closely match information in the approved drug labeling. Applicants who plan to develop MR generic products should visit the FDA public web page for the availability of the product-specific BE recommendations for the proposed products.

Production of effervescent tablet from jambolan (Syzygium cumini L.) fruit

Jambolan (Syzygium cumini L.) fruit contained numerous phytochemical and bioactive constituents beneficial for human health. However, this underutilized fruit was highly susceptible to quality degradation after harvesting. Due to the seasonality and perishability of the jambolan fruit, it’s very necessary to convert this valuable fruit into instant, stable and convenient form for long-term consumption. This research was conducted at STNanotech laboratory in 2021 to evaluate the exploitation of jambolan fruit for juice extraction, spray drying and effervescent tablet production. Different variables of spray drying conditions such as proportion of wall material (maltodextrin 8-16%), inlet/outlet drying temperature (150/80, 160/85, 170/90, 180/95, 190/100 oC/oC), feed flow rate (7.5-17.5 ml/min) were deeply investigated on physicochemical and antioxidant properties of spray-dried jambolan powder (SDJP). In preparation of effervescent tablet, the spray-dried jambolan powder (SDJP) was mixed with sodium bicarbonate (SB) and magnesium stearate (MS) in five different formulas: F1 (65/10/25), F2 (65/5/30), F3 (70/10/20), F4 (65/15/20), F5 (70/15/15). Results showed that jambolan extract should be spray-dried with maltodextrin 14% as wall material (WM), inlet/outlet drying temperature 170/90 oC/oC, feed flow rate (FFR) 12.5 ml/min to obtain the optimal particle size 7.94±0.05 µm, solubility 96.80±0.02%, yield 56.71±0.01%, microencapsulation efficiency (ME) 93.25±0.05%, total phenolic content (TPC) 298.45±0.79 mg GAE/100 g, anthocyanin content (AC) 76.59±0.06 mg/100 g, and antioxidant activity (AA) 85.63±0.04%. The jambolan effervescent tablet produced by formula F2 (65/5/30) achieved the optimal hardness 47.24±0.05 N, disintegration time (DT) 271.05±2.03 s, TPC 201.03±1.28 mg GAE/100 g, AC 40.89±0.30 mg/100 g, AA 73.12±0.24% and overall acceptance (OA) 8.81±0.05. Jambolan fruit could be utilized to produce spray-dried powder and its effervescent tablet as a versatile functional food with excellent physicochemical, antioxidant and sensorial characteristics under safe and convenient way for all year round.

Size matters: comparing the MDMA content and weight of ecstasy tablets submitted to European drug checking services in 2012–2021

Purpose The 3,4-methylenedioxymetamphetamine (MDMA) content in ecstasy tablets has increased enormously throughout Europe across the past decade. This study aims to determine whether this is caused by the production of “stronger” tablets (more mg MDMA per mg of tablet), or if tablets have simply been getting larger and heavier (more mg of tablet in total). Design/methodology/approach A data set of 31,716 ecstasy tablets obtained in 2012–2021 by 10 members of the Trans European Drug Information (TEDI) network was analysed. Findings The MDMA mass fraction in ecstasy tablets has remained virtually unchanged over the past 10 years, with increased MDMA contents being attributed almost exclusively to increased tablet weight. These trends seem to be uniform across Europe, despite varying sampling and analytical techniques being used by the TEDI participants. The study also shows that while tablet weight correlates perfectly with MDMA content on a yearly basis, wide variations in the MDMA mass fraction make such relations irrelevant for determining the MDMA content of individual tablets. Research limitations/implications These results provide new opportunities for harm reduction, given that size is a tangible and apparently accurate characteristic to emphasise that one tablet does not simply equate to one dose. This is particularly useful for harm reduction services without the resources for in-house quantification of large numbers of ecstasy tablets, although the results of this study also show that chemical analysis remains crucial for accurate personalised harm reduction. Originality/value The findings are both new and pertinent, providing a novel insight into the market dynamics of ecstasy tablet production at a transnational level.