Soft-Chewable Paracetamol Tablets by Melt Granulation Method: Formulation and Characterization

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Technology
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Oral drug delivery is preferred globally, with tablets being a common dosage form.
• Difficulty swallowing tablets affects pediatric and geriatric populations.
• Chewable tablets offer an alternative, improving palatability and ease of administration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize chewable paracetamol tablets.
• To address challenges in oral drug administration for specific patient groups.

Main Methods:

• Chewable tablets were manufactured using the melt granulation technique.
• Formulations included paracetamol, Arabic gum, starch, agar, and mannitol.
• Tablets underwent various characterization tests.

Main Results:

• Drug release from fragmented tablets: 50% in 4 min, 100% in 30 min.
• Drug release from intact tablets: approximately 90% in 2 hours.
• Formulation 2 exhibited moderate hardness and a chewy texture.

Conclusions:

• Formulation 2 was identified as the optimal formulation.
• The developed chewable tablets met all characterization requirements.
• The study successfully created a patient-friendly chewable paracetamol tablet.