Efficient screening of biopolymers for tablet dosage form using the mixture screening design to enhance probiotic viability and gastric resistance

It is widely acknowledged that probiotics are beneficial for health, but harsh gastric conditions can destroy them. This condition highlights the need for protective delivery mechanisms in the stomach. Probiotics must be protected from the harsh gastric environment and provided with the right delivery mechanism for maximum effectiveness. This study aimed to identify significant biopolymer excipients that can be used to produce acid-resistant probiotic tablets using the mixture screening design. In this study, six biopolymers, namely, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), pectin, carbopol, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), alginate, and xanthan were screened at different ratios to evaluate their effects on probiotic viability and tablet disintegration time in simulated gastric/intestinal fluids. A 21-run design with three replicates was implemented using a mixture screening approach. Statistical analysis showed that CMC, HPMC, and alginate have significantly improved the viability and dissolution time of the tablets in the gastric environment. These polymers were selected for further optimisation studies to develop protective probiotic tablets. The mixture screening design allowed the efficient screening of polymer combinations to identify key excipients for maximising viability and gastric resistance.