Comparative Study of Powder Carriers Physical and Structural Properties.

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Technology
• Materials Science
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Powder carriers with high specific surface area (SSA) and porous structures are crucial for pharmaceutical formulations like liquisolid systems (LSS) and solid self-emulsifying delivery systems (s-SEDDS).
• While microcrystalline cellulose is common, alternative materials such as magnesium aluminometasilicates, mesoporous silicates, silica aerogels, and clay minerals offer potential benefits for liquid drug incorporation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the key properties of 14 different powder carriers, including cellulose derivatives, silica, silicates, and clay minerals.
• To evaluate carriers for their suitability in pharmaceutical formulations, particularly for incorporating liquid phases into solid dosage forms.
• To provide a standardized comparison of carrier properties, overcoming limitations of existing data from varied measurement conditions.

Main Methods:

• Evaluation of 14 carriers (cellulose derivatives, silica, silicates, clay minerals) using consistent methodology.
• Characterization included flow properties, shear cell experiments, specific surface area (SSA), hygroscopicity, pH, particle size, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Main Results:

• Magnesium aluminometasilicates, particularly Neusilin® US2, demonstrated excellent properties, including favorable flow and high SSA.
• Innovative materials like FujiSil® and Syloid® XDP 3050 were also identified as suitable carriers based on their evaluated properties.
• Standardized testing enabled direct comparison of carriers, highlighting performance differences.

Conclusions:

• Magnesium aluminometasilicates are highly promising carriers for pharmaceutical applications requiring liquid incorporation into solid forms.
• The study provides valuable data for selecting appropriate carriers, facilitating the development of advanced drug delivery systems.
• Consistent methodology ensures reliable comparative data for powder carrier selection in pharmaceutical technology.