What Is Microcrystalline Cellulose & What Is It Used for?
Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) has developed as the most ingenious excipient for pharma industry. Because of its characteristics and grades, it is available for various requirements and its physical properties that help different uses.MCC can be utilized as a bulking agent, disintegrant, binding agent, lubrication, and glidant other than being a stability enhancer and an auxiliary suspending agent. It can be utilized as a part of the direct pressure of most medications and helps in cost cutting of material, capital, machinery, and men. Its regularly expanding applications in medicate look into incorporate its utility in the prompt discharge of medicine, in any form such as tablets, oral fluids, organoleptic upgrades as in chewable and mouth dissolving tablets, hostile to reflux, furthermore, nutraceuticals.
A lot of research has been carried in the field of drug delivery but it cannot match the advantages of tablets or capsules. Excipients help to make patient-friendly medicines. Each excipient has a specific use in tablet or capsule manufacturing and the absence of it can have adverse consequences.
There are many inactive agents or excipients used in pharma industry like, Magnesium Stearate, Stearic Acid, Gelatin, Carrageenan and Microcrystalline Cellulose manufacturers claim it to be safe to use. Generally, these mentioned inactive agents serve many benefits like binder, lubrication or bulking agent. Microcrystalline cellulose is an exception; it can be used for many purposes. It is the most versatile inactive agent. This is also user-friendly.
Most microcrystalline cellulose manufacturer derives it from the refined wood pulp and it is a natural polymer. This cellulose has shorter crystalline polymer chains. It is a white, non-reactive, flow-able excipient. The physical and chemical properties of MCC make it the best choice for many pharmaceutical processes.
Uses of Microcrystalline Cellulose:
Filler: Fillers are mandatory for tablet manufacturing where the doses of drugs are very low. MCC can be used for all types of tablet making processes like direct compression, wet granulation, and dry procession.
Direct Compression: MCC is used as an excipient in direct compression. It has high dilution capacity and higher active ingredient carrier capacity. It has the potential to hold itself together even under direct compression. Another reason for its popularity is the low bulk density; it will lead to high dilution and packing density. It helps in producing tablets with better hardness levels and less fragile. It also provides superior white color and provides stability.
Wet granulation: As mentioned earlier it has insoluble properties at the same time it is hydrophilic. Hence, it is preferred choice for this manufacturing process. The benefit of using MCC is that can retain water, it further helps in uniform granulation. Case solidifying is a process saw in deficiently dried granules. Now and again, when the granules are dried at a high temperature, within the granules stay wet also; the surface appears to be dried. MCC is useful as it is less sensitive to wet mass, therefore, it does not get over wet, dries faster, you will find fewer case hardening and disintegrates quickly.
Roller Compaction: Roller compaction is a dry procedure including compaction of materials into strips that are at that point processed to produce a granulation. This granulation is then greased up and packed on a tablet machine. Usage of MCC in this manufacturing process improves in compaction, flow enhancement, and content uniformity.
Binder: To gain the appropriate mechanical strength and give volume to the smaller active ingredient dose, binders are very helpful. It affects the quality and appearance of the tablet. Considering the hydrophyllic water wicking qualities of MCC, it is widely used as a binder in the pharmaceutical industry.
Disintegrant: MCC is broadly utilized as a disintegrant in dry compressions also, wet granulation systems. It improves tranquilize disintegration by speeding tablet deterioration, gives the largest amount of breaking down power at low utilize levels, and uses double breaking down instruments of wicking and swelling for more quick breaking down.
Since its presentation, MCC has totally adjusted the pharmaceutical research situation making altogether new levels of assembling efficiencies.