The dissolution of paracetamol tablets and the in vitro transfer of paracetamol with and without sorbitol

Abstract

MANY adjuvants such as sorbitol, glucosamine hydrochloride and sodium hexametaphosphate, have been added to oral dosage forms to improve the absorption of drugs, but Wagner (1961) emphasizes that the attribution of beneficial results to them is not always unequivocal. With sorbitol in paracetamol tablets, it has been suggested that the improved absorption is due to the sorbitol acting on the metabolism of paracetamol and as a dispersing agent (Gwilt, Robertson & others, 1963). The combination of paracetamol and sorbitol provides a readily assayable system with which to examine the role of the adjuvant. I have examined the effect of sorbitol on the aqueous solubility and partitioning of paracetamol and have studied the dissolution rate of paracetamol from commercial tablets containing paracetamol with or without sorbitol with the aim of evaluating the effect of the adjuvant on the availability of the drug.