Exploring Excipients: Enhancing Solubility in Modified Drug Release Systems Using Inexpensive Tableting and Dissolution Methods

This practical is aimed at students who have been introduced to the tableting process, drug delivery systems, and dissolution. The student can design and manufacture a tablet investigating the effect of excipients and their role in tablet design and then generate a release profile of the tablet by using a dissolution apparatus, flow-through cell, and UV-vis kinetics. Economical alternatives to the otherwise expensive dies, presses, and dissolution apparatus required to conduct the practical are included so that this can be applied across a range of budgets. With the assumption that most undergraduate laboratories possess a 13 mm KBr die and hydraulic press, a 10 mm die and 6 mm die can cost in excess of €850, while homemade versions can be manufactured for less than €5.