Technical optimisation of redispersible dry emulsions

Preparation of dry emulsions suitable for tablet processing was examined in this study. Liquid o/w-emulsions were spray dried in a laboratory spray dryer applying hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) as a solid carrier and emulsifier. As the lipid phase, fractionated coconut oil was used. The ability of various excipients to increase the density of dry emulsions was investigated. Adding sucrose to the formulation, redispersible dry emulsions with higher density were obtained. The-type of rotary atomizer did not affect the dry emulsions containing sucrose nor the rate of relation of the atomizer applied in the spray drying process. By wet granulation, using ethanol as a binder, free-flowing and compactable dry emulsions were obtained and simultaneously the reconstitution properties were preserved. It was concluded that dry emulsions could be optimised for tablet processing by wet granulation. Tablets having a lipid content up to 20% had proper tablet properties. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.