Combination of a hot-melt subcoating and an enteric coating for moisture protection of hygroscopic Sennae fructus tablets.

The objective of this study was to investigate the efficiency of moisture protection of hot-melt coatings solely and in combination with an enteric coating on hygroscopic tablet cores containing a spray-dried Sennae fructus extract. Tablet cores were subcoated with different hot-melt coating materials: medium chain tryglycerides, stearic acid, Precirol® ATO 5, and Compritol® 888 ATO, at varying amounts and coated with Eudragit® L 30 D-55 for enteric resistance. Subcoating penetration, tablet disintegration and dissolution times, tablet hygroscopicity, and tablet properties such as weight, height, diameter, and hardness were analyzed. 3 mg/cm2 of tablet surface seemed to be sufficient if sustained release is not required. Thereby, hot-melt coating did not adversely affect the tablet properties with regard to subsequent processing steps. Compared to the tablet cores it was possible to reduce the moisture uptake by 85% at 75% relative humidity with tablets coated with a combination of Precirol® ATO 5 and Eudragit® L 30 D-55. This combination was more efficient than high amounts of Eudragit® L 30 D-55. Hot-melt coating proved to be a suitable technique for the application of subcoating material to tablet cores serving as a barrier against water permeation into hygroscopic tablet cores without exceeding the required disintegration times.