Design of Erythritol Granules for Direct Tableting by Improving Compressibility

Abstract

Erythritol has several characteristic physicochemical properties, such as high solubility, low hygroscopicity, low toxicity, and preferred sweetness among patients. However, the raw powder has less compressibility and frequently exhibits tableting failure such as a capping and lamination. In this study, we designed erythritol granules for direct compression using different granulation methods (dry granulation, wet extruding granulation, fluidized bed granulation) and a different binder (e.g., polyvinylpyrrolidone, hypromellose, and sodium carboxymethylcellulose). The tablet using the granules with hypromellose exhibited sufficient tabletability. In addition, we found that granulation using an erythritol dissolving binder solution can increase the erythritol content in the granules and further improve the compressibility and tablet hardness. The resultant erythritol granule was applicable for tableting, even when including less compressible material (acetaminophen and N-acetylglucosamine).