Evaluation of material properties and compression characteristics of Assam Bora rice flours as a directly compressible vehicle in tablet formulation.

AIM: The mechanical properties and compaction characteristics of different varieties of Assam Bora rice flours (ABRFs) were evaluated and compared with those of official Starch 1500®.

METHODS: The material properties and compression characteristics of Assam Bora rice flours were studied by Heckel and Kawakita analysis. The influences of physical and geometrical properties of ABRFs were evaluated with regard to their compression properties. The mechanical properties, such as toughness and Young's modulus of ABRFs were also compared with that of Starch 1500®.

RESULTS: The novel ABRFs reflect better physical characteristics such as higher bulk and tap densities, less porosity, better powder packing ability, large surface area, and improved flowability. ABRFs were the least sensitive material to magnesium stearate, and blending time did not affect its compactibility. Their onset of plastic deformation and strain rate sensitivity as compared to that of Starch 1500® demonstrate its potential use as a directly compressible vehicle for tablet.

CONCLUSIONS: The experimental ABRFs showed superior properties to official Starch 1500® in many cases and could serve as suitable alternatives for particular purposes.