Design, Formulation and Physicochemical Evaluation of Acetaminophen Effervescent Tablets

The main objective of this study was to design, formulate and evaluate the physicochemical properties of 500 mg acetaminophen effervescent tablets, in order to accelerate its analgesic and antipyretic effects in patients with pill swallowing problems. Formulations with 500 mg of acetaminophen were prepared with effervescent bases including tartaric acid, citric acid, sodium bicarbonate, and PEG6000. Flowability of powders and granules was determined by measurement of bulk and tapped density, compressibility index and Hausner's ratio. Three methods were applied to prepare tablets: direct compression, wet granulation and fusion. The effervescence time, hardness, pH, thickness, CO2 content, water content, weight variation, and content uniformity of the prepared tablets were investigated. In order to overcome the bitter taste of acetaminophen, different sweeteners and fruity essences such as orange, lemon, and cherry flavors were applied. Panel taste was performed using 20 volunteers. The physicochemical characteristics of three different methods of preparing tablets were pretty similar. Wet granulated formulations had higher hardness and better flowability while direct compressed tablets had stable effervescence time and better solubility. According to the panel taste, orange flavor was more acceptable. Wet granulated tablets which were prepared using alcohol and PVP had higher hardness and variable effervescence time in comparison to direct compressed tablets. Flowability of wet granulated formulations was better than the one with direct compressed formulations.