Solid Dosage Forms

Direct compression

Direct compression has become the pharmaceutical industry's preferred tabletting process, due to its simplicity and the fact that ingredients are not exposed to heat and moisture. But the choice of the right excipient is critical: it must combine high compressibility with excellent flowability, and have a particle size distribution compatible with the active ingredient.

Each of our direct compression products feature a specific set of characteristics that meet a particular application requirement.
 

Dry granulation

Dry granulation is gaining popularity as a preparation technique for the manufacture of compressed tablets especially for ingredients sensitive to solvents and labile at high temperatures. An advantage of this technique as well is that high density granules can be obtained.
Several of Cargill's sweet excipients can be used in this technique, providing excellent tablets without any sign of capping or laminating.

Wet granulation

Granulation remains an essential and sometimes inevitable process in the development of solid-dosage forms. We offer a wide range of excipients suitable for wet granulation, including starches, maltodextrins and polyols.

Each product has been developed to demonstrate a unique set of functionalities in a particular application. Our long-lasting relationships with customers often extend to the development of solutions and formulations that meet their unique requirements.

All of our products meet the appropriate Ph. Eur, USP/NF and JP(E) specifications, and all are manufactured in line with appropriate quality management systems.

Starch is widely used as an excipient in wet granulation that, depending on its structure, can be used as a binder, diluent or disintegrant. We offer pregelatinized and partly pregelatinized starches, as well as native starches. Dextrose and polyols have also been developed as binders or diluents.

Native starch is a classic tablet disintegrant. Tablets containing regular maize starch allow water to easily penetrate into the tablet, hereby softening the tablet and resulting in fast disintegration.

Cargill offers several products suitable as coating agents in solid dosage formulations.

Maltodextrins are produced by enzymatic conversion of starch and spray-drying the obtained syrup, while glucose syrups are aqueous solutions of α-D-glucose based natural sugars obtained by starch hydrolysis.

The film forming functionality of thickening carrageenans is recommended when instant solubility is desired, for example to deliver flavor or vitamins in a single piece of film. Gelling carrageenans are used to obtain retarded solubility, ensuring a constant release of nutraceuticals and medications in capsules, tablets and other drug delivery systems.

Carrageenans and xanthan gums, both hydro soluble additives, are used as a hydrophilic matrix system for controlled release in tablets.

Release agents containing fluid lecithins ensure a trouble-free release from dies and forms during manufacturing.