ABSTRACT
Disintegrating agents are substances routinely included in tablet formulations and in some hard shell capsule formulations to promote moisture penetration and dispersion of the matrix of the dosage form in dissolution fluids. Water wicking has been thought to be the main mechanism of disintegration. Super disintegrants are excipients used to promote rapid breakdown of oral solid dosage forms to aid dissolution in vivod. The ability of a disintegrant to draw water into the porous network of a tablet is essential for effective disintegration. Although water penetration is a necessary first step for disintegration, swelling is probably the most widely accepted mechanism of action for tablet disintegrants. The deformation recovery theory implies that the shapes of the disintegrant particles are distorted during compression, and that the particles return to their precompression shape upon wetting, thereby causing the tablet to break apart.
