Non-pareil seeds (NPS) are white and spherical particles/granules with a uniform diameter. They are inert, tasteless, and odorless. These seeds are composed of starch and Sugar, which are inert substances. Sugar spheres are a type of non-pareil seeds that are stable under ambient conditions. 

These spheres are used as cores in sustained release formulations. They are also the base on which the drugs are coated. Sugar spheres can be given coatings of inert colors that distinguish one drug from another. Furthermore, they can be blended and filled into capsule shells or compressed into tablets. 

As NPS is used in drug formulations, they should follow regulatory compliance and meet international standards. Their unique particle sizes and inert conditions are to be maintained. All these key features are provided by MB Sugars- a leading sugar sphere manufacturer in India. 

In this article, we shall specifically walk through what sugar spheres are, their characteristics, and their use in the pharma industry.

What are sugar spheres?

These are the free-flowing, porous, dry, spherical masses of sugar and starch. Their particle size ranges from 12 to 120 mesh. They are widely used as excipients for sustained release pellet formulations in oral dosage forms. The spheres are coated with active pharmaceutical ingredients and sustained-release additives. 

Its ability to flow makes its spherical shape desirable, especially when being poured in large quantities. Additionally, the freshly formed tablet is compressed after the pellet has been mixed with APIs and other excipients; this procedure is made simpler and more effective with a spherical pellet.

Characteristics Of Sugar Spheres

1. Flowability

The flowability of spherical particles is so high that there is no need to define the angle of response after being poured in bulk. They have a smooth surface, which makes them easy to fill in the capsule shell. These spheres show low compressibility and may cause a few problems in handling and dosage stages. 

2. Particle size

One of the important points that differentiate NPS from other fillers is their particle size. It is a prerequisite for the uniform application of active substances in the coating layers. The calculation of surface-per-unit-are also depends upon uniform particle size distribution and spherical shape. For a dosage to be effective, the particle size should be precise. This will also help to generate recurrent results. 

3. Mechanical stability

As mentioned above, the sugar spheres show low friability, which indicates their mechanical stability in the application of external pressure. The particles must be stable enough to withstand the loads during subsequent coating, which also includes contact with solvents. It enhances the interaction of particles with APIs. 

4. Surface

The surface properties are important to calculate the subsequent coating procedure and the release kinetics. It is ideal to be able to determine the surface-per-pellet mass as a sphere surface from the mean diameter. Because of the high degree of roundness that results from the rolling motion during the production process in sugar spheres made using a modified sugar coating approach, this calculation is accurate enough to be used as a first approximation. It also leads to a low interstitial surface of sugar with low porosity. 

Applications of Sugar Spheres

1. Inert Cores

In tablet and capsule formulations, particularly multiparticulate sustained-release formulations, sugar spheres are generally used as inert cores. They lay the foundation for coating pharmaceutical drugs, which is often done after release-modifying polymer coating. 

Additionally, multiparticulate drug delivery methods are becoming more common as pharmaceutical companies work to improve clinical effectiveness. In the upcoming years, sugar spheres are anticipated to be vital excipients for solid drugs as well, with the potential to be used successfully as a means for novel advancements.

2. Pellets Constituents

Some drugs that are taken as pellets contain sugar spheres as essential components. In comparison to their alternative ideas, sugar pellets have demonstrated their value in research tests. Sugar spheres have several advantages, and new uses are constantly being developed. 

One such use is compressing coated pellets to create sustained-release or multiple-unit tablets. The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Inactive Ingredients Guide for oral tablets and tablets lists sugar spheres as an ingredient. They are also present in non-parenteral medications that have been authorized in the UK and Europe.

Why are MB’s Sugar Spheres/Pallets Unique?

1. A hygienic and unique manufacturing process makes sure that sugar spheres have high stability, no attrition, low friability and are robust

2. The spheres quality is  Pharmacopeial specifications (BP/USP/EP/JP)

3. They have a high degree of sphericity and a non-porous smooth surface. This gives reproducible results for the final pellet.

4. Ability to make finer size Pellets up to 120 mesh.

5.How many pellets are there in a gram of the entire mixture? Sugar spheres being spherical in nature allows easy and accurate calculation for drug loading; and save drug yield.

6. The contents of sugar spheres, i.e., sucrose and corn starch are natural, easily digestible, and biodegradable.

7. Sugar Sphere Manufacturer uses high-quality excipients and thermal processes that ensure extreme product quality and stability.

8. Certification available – GMP, Drug License, US DMF, TGA, Kosher and Halal.

When it comes to maintaining high standards, M.B. Sugars is the ideal choice. Sugar spheres, being of great importance, need to have quality standards that meet pharma regulations. The sugar spheres/Pellets at MB Sugars have high mechanical stability, a non-porous surface, controlled particle size distribution, and much more. With an in-house lab testing facility, every batch prepared is tested qualitatively and quantitatively.

To get in touch with us, call us at +91-022-27666683/022-40068106/022-49711480, or mail us at mbmom@mbsugars.com.