Evaluation of rapidly disintegrating tablets prepared by a direct compression method.

To make rapidly disintegrating tablets with sufficient mechanical integrity as well as a pleasant taste, microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), Tablettose (TT), and crosslinked sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (Ac-di-sol) or erythritol (ET) were formulated. Tablets were made by a direct compression method (I). Tablet properties such as porosity, tensile strength, and disintegration time were determined. The tensile strength and disintegration time were selected as response variables, tablet porosity and parameters representing the characteristics of formulation were selected as controlling factors, and their relation was determined by the polynomial regression method. Response surface plots and contour plots of tablet tensile strength and disintegration time were also constructed. The optimum combination of tablet porosity and formulation was obtained by superimposing the contour diagrams of tablet tensile strength and disintegration time. Rapidly disintegrating tablets with durable structure and desirable taste could be prepared within the obtained optimum region.