Application of acid-treated yeast cell wall (AYC) as a pharmaceutical additive. III. AYC aqueous coating onto granules and film formation mechanism of AYC.

From the viewpoint of effective utilization of natural resources and development of new pharmaceutical materials, acid-treated yeast cell wall (AYC) was prepared via a novel approach involving acidification of brewers' yeast cell wall. AYC aqueous dispersion containing 5% (w/v) AYC and 0.5% (w/v) glycerol was prepared. Subsequently, AYC was coated onto core granules containing acetaminophen (AAP). Spray mist size under various spray conditions and viscosity of the AYC aqueous dispersion at various AYC concentrations were measured. AYC spray mists were optically observed. The surface of AYC cast film and AYC-coated granules were observed with a confocal scanning laser microscope. We attempted to show the utility of AYC as a novel material for granule coating, following the tablet coating in our previous report. In addition, the film formation mechanism of AYC was investigated. A smooth surface of the AYC-coated granules was obtained at a coating ratio of only 5%, which generally requires approximately 15-30% coating against the core granule weight, with no aggregation. These results are attributable to the fact that the granules were coated with a large number of small mists of AYC and the coating progressed efficiently, and the thin film layer of AYC was formed on the granules by mutual tangling of the hydrogel layers of AYC polysaccharides. AAP release from AYC-coated granules was obviously rapid, suggesting the high utility of AYC as a coating material for the rapidly releasing granules.