The relationship between powder and medicine
What should you do if you have a cold, fever, or diarrhea?
Of course you have to take medicine!
People’s healthy life is inseparable from medicine. Common types of medicine include pills, granules, etc. They are all made from raw materials after making powder!
Let’s take a look at the inseparable relationship between medicine and powder…
Raw material-powder-medicine
In pharmaceutical products, solid pharmaceutical preparations account for about 70% to 80%. The dosage forms containing solid drugs include powders, granules, capsules, tablets, powder injections, and suspensions.
The preparation process of pharmaceutical solid dosage forms is as follows:
What are the pharmaceutical powder equipment
Solid dosage form preparation
Crushing: ball mill, impact mill, vibration mill, jet mill, etc.
Screening: rotary vibrating screen, sample sieve, cyclone separator, etc.
Mixing: trough mixer, cone mixer, three-dimensional motion mixer, V-type mixer, etc.
Granulation: fluidized granulator, stirring granulator, centrifugal granulator, extrusion granulator, etc.
Tableting: single-punch tablet machine, rotary multi-punch tablet machine, high-speed tablet press, etc.
Drying: spray desiccant, granulating desiccant, hollow paddle dryer, fluidized bed dryer, etc.
Detection: laser particle size analyzer, density meter, surface area and pore size distribution meter, powder rheometer, etc.
Most solid dosage forms need to be processed according to different requirements to improve the properties of the powder and meet the requirements of product quality and powder operation.
The powder processing process is different, the powder properties of the particles are also very different!
- Fluidized granulation
It is suitable for tableting, with low particle density, high porosity and low strength.
- Stirring granulation
It is suitable for encapsulating, with compact particles and high strength.
- Centrifugal granulation
It is suitable for encapsulating and coating, the particles are round, dense and uniform.
What are the effects of powder properties on the process and quality of pharmaceutical preparations
The nature of the powder
The first property is the property of a single particle, such as shape, size, surface area, porosity, etc. The second property is the properties of the powder aggregate, such as fluidity, filling property, compression molding property, etc.
Solid pharmaceutical products are often mixed with multiple ingredients. In order to ensure the uniformity of the drug content in the formulation, each ingredient needs to be crushed and sieved to form a powder with a certain particle size before mixing.
- Influence of powder properties on mixing uniformity
From the perspective of powder, the factors that affect the uniformity of mixing include particle size, particle size difference and density difference between components, particle morphology and surface state, static electricity and surface energy.
- Influence of powder properties on divided doses of solid preparations
The fluidity of powder is related to particle size, particle size distribution, particle morphology, surface state, and bulk density. When the angle of repose α<30°, the fluidity is good, and when α>45°, the fluidity is poor. In actual production, α<40° can meet the production requirements of divided doses.
The size, shape, particle size distribution, bulk density and porosity of the powder particles can intuitively reflect its filling properties.
- Influence of powder properties on compression formability
The radial crushing force of the powder—hardness, and the crushing force per unit area—tensile strength are measured, and the ability of the powder to reduce volume under pressure and form a certain shape tightly combined is obtained.
- The effect of powder properties on the quality of preparations
The process of solid pharmaceutical preparations is to disintegrate, release the drug and be absorbed by the human body; increase the porosity to promote disintegration, reduce the particle size to increase the dissolution, and reduce the particle size to enhance the efficacy.
- Influence of powder properties on bioavailability and curative effect
The smaller the particle size, the greater the bioavailability; the larger the specific surface area, the greater the bioavailability; the smaller the particle size, the greater the bioavailability.
What are the applications of powder technology in pharmaceutical preparations?
- Application in prescription design
Ensure the quality of pharmaceutical preparations: dissolution, disintegration, stability, appearance, uniformity of active substances, strength, etc.
To ensure the smooth progress of the production process: fluidity, filling, compression molding, sticking, pushing, etc.
- Application in solid preparation production process
Control parameters: particle size, particle size distribution, fluidity, filling, moisture content, upper and lower punching pressure, residual pressure on the mold wall, etc., and finally a qualified product.
- Convenient to control the quality of solid preparations, which is conducive to the implementation of GMP
Promote automated, continuous, and modern production to prevent drug contamination, cross-contamination and confusion.
- Promote the development of modern technology and new dosage forms
The advantages of ultra-fine pulverization technology in the production and application of Chinese medicine include: cell wall breakage, improving the dissolution rate of active ingredients; improving the utilization of medicinal materials, effectively protecting Chinese medicinal resources; promoting drug absorption and enhancing efficacy; safe and hygienic, and convenient for clinical application.
The advantages of nanotechnology in pharmaceutical applications include: enabling drugs to act on the central nervous system through the blood-brain barrier, penetrating the epidermis to enhance the absorption of the preparation, and enhancing the targeting effect of the drug.
The powder + medicine complement each other, and the prospects are promising!
Powder and medicine are closely related. With the promotion and implementation of GMP standardization in the pharmaceutical industry, powder technology has received more and more attention from people in the pharmaceutical industry, providing new development paths for the research of higher-efficiency drugs; at the same time, the pharmaceutical industry continues to Development also puts forward higher requirements on powder technology and equipment. The two industries complement each other for mutual benefit and win-win!
[Knowledge Popularization] Do you know what mineral drugs are available?
| Product name | Main ingredient | Effect |
| Plaster | CaSO4+2H2O | To clear away heat, relieve fire, relieve irritability and quench thirst |
| Alum | KAI(SO4)2·12H2O | Expectorant and relieve itching, detoxify and relieve diarrhea |
| Realgar | As2S3 | Detoxification, insecticide, expectorant and malaria elimination |
| ocher | Fe2O3 | To calm the liver and suppress yang, eliminate adverse effects and stop bleeding |
| Cinnabar | HgS | Clear the heart, calm the nerves, soothe the nerves and detoxify |
| Amethyst | CaF2 | Calm the mind, warm the lungs and warm the palace |
| Magnet | Fe3O4 | Clear ears and eyesight, breathe and relieve asthma |
| Calamine | ZnCO3 | Detoxify, improve eyesight, relieve itching and sore sores |
| Talc | Mg3(Si4O10)(OH) | Diuresis, relieves dampness and sores |
| Natural copper | FeS2 | To dissipate blood stasis and fix bones, promote blood circulation and relieve pain |
| Glauber’s salt | NsSO4·10H2O | Relieve heat and relieve constipation, clear fire and reduce swelling |
| Xuanming powder | Na2SO4 | Moisturize dryness, soften firmness, relieve heat and laxative |
| Sulfur | Mineral chalcogenide natural sulfur | Insecticidal treatment of sores, yang and laxative |
| Red stone fat | AI(Si4O10)(OH)8·4H2O | Astringent intestines to stop bleeding, grow muscles and tighten sores |
| Stalactite | CaCO3 | Warm the lungs and help yang, relieve asthma and relieve breasts |
| Stamen | Carbonate of Ca and Mg | Astringent intestines to stop diarrhea, convergence and stop bleeding |
| Yu Yuliang | Fe2O3·3H2O | Astringent intestines to stop diarrhea, convergence and stop bleeding |
| Golden stone | K, Mg, Al and silicic acid | Drop the phlegm and lower the qi, calm the liver and relieve convulsions |
| Blue Stone | Mg, Al, Fe and silicic acid | Drop the phlegm and lower the qi, calm the liver and relieve convulsions |
| Montmorillonite | Aluminosilicate | Stop bleeding and diarrhea, treat ulcers |