Evaluation of Availability of Sugar Ester (SE) Having Different Properties as a Lubricant

The lubricant property of sucrose esters of fatty acids (SEs) having different particle size and Hydrophile-Lipophile Balance (HLB) was evaluated with a model formulation in tableting. The binding tendency of the model formulation composed of isomalt powder was depressed by adding SEs in the formulation. Tablets containing SE showed faster disintegration time compared to those containing magnesium stearate or calcium stearate, while the tablets containing SEs indicated a high tensile strength. Milled SE (S-370F) exhibited better tablet properties than original SE (S-370). The SEs having different HLB showed different effects on the resultant tablet properties such as the magnitude of tensile strength, disintegration time, and spreading properties. The relatively hydrophilic SE was found to much improve the resultant disintegrating properties of tablet compared to magnesium stearate, calcium stearate and hydrophobic SEs. Consequently, SEs are able to use as lubricants on tablet formulation by appropriately controlling its particle size, content, and HLB.