Abstracts: The in-depth characterization of excipients is a prerequisite for their safe application in pharmaceutical products. In case of excipients, this task can be a challenge, since many industrial products are mixtures of variable composition. The most important part of a medicine as far as its weight is concerned, is constituted by its excipients, which have the important function of guaranteeing the dosage, stability and bioavailabilityity of the tablet dosage form. The humble tablet dosage form still accounts for more than 80% of all dosage forms administered to man. This review will outline the various excipients that have been used as fillers in direct compression formulations, with particular emphasis on what is expected from such excipients in terms of their functionality. It is intended that this overview (which is by no means exhaustive) will serve as an ‘aidememoire’ to the formulation scientist. The quality of medicines depends not only on the active principles and production processes, but also the performance of the excipients. It is a remarkable fact that, in the new millennium, tablets still account for more than 75% of all dosage forms administered to man. the principal reasons for their continued popularity include their ease of manufacture, their convenience of dosing, and their stability compared with liquid and semi-solid presentations. Pharmaceutical oral solid dosage forms have been used widely for decades mainly due to their convenience of administration and their suitability for delivery of drugs for systemic effects. The most commonly used dosage form for pharmaceutical preparations is currently the tablet, available in various forms and administered orally. The advantages of this dosage form are manifold: tablets are cost effective to manufacture, convenient to dispense and store, and easy for the patient to administer, and they provide a versatile means of delivering the drug. Release of drug from the tablet can be controlled by altering the design and content of the formulation. Also, since this is a dry dosage form, tablets provide a supportive environment for drug stability and generally have a relatively long shelf life. Tablets are manufactured by applying pressure to a powder bed, which compresses the powder into a coherent compact. The powder may consist of either primary particles or aggregated primary particles (i.e. granules). When these are compressed, bonds are established between the particles or granules, thus conferring a certain mechanical strength to the compact.
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