26. November 2017

The objective of this study was the development of retarded release pellets using vegetable calcium stearate (CaSt) as a thermoplastic excipient. The matrix carrier was hot melt extruded and pelletized with a hot-strand cutter in a one step continuous process. Vegetable CaSt was extruded at temperatures between 100 and 130 °C, since at these temperatures cutable extrudates with a suitable melt viscosity may be obtained. Pellets with a drug loading of 20% paracetamol released 11.54% of the drug a