Development and Evaluation of Astaxanthin Orally Disintegrating Tablets Prepared from Coprocessed Excipients for Use in the Elderly

The world’s population is aging; therefore, conventional pharmaceutical dosage forms designed for adult are not suitable. Orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) are innovative dosage forms designed to overcome the problem of difficulty in swallowing or dysphagia, which is a common problem among all age groups, especially the elderly. This study aimed to develop and assess ODTs loaded with astaxanthin and manufactured by direct compression method using different coprocessed pharmaceutical excipients, including F-Melt ® Type C, F-Melt ® Type M, and Pearlitol Flash ® . The results found that the ODTs prepared from F-Melt ® Type C and F-Melt ® Type M offered better mechanical properties. An astaxanthin concentration of 20–40 mg in the tablets did not retard the disintegration mechanism. From the taste modified formulation, the tablets disintegrated within 82 seconds. The tablet hardness was higher than 35.33 N and its friability was less than 0.5%. Lastly, active ingredient dissolved more than 80% in 2 minutes.