Sugar Spheres

Synonyms: Non-pareil; non-pareil seeds; Nu-Core; Nu-Pareil PG; sacchari sphaerae; sugar seeds; Suglets.

Description: The USP32–NF27 describes sugar spheres as approximately spherical granules of a labeled nominal-size range with a uniform diameter and containing not less than 62.5% and not more than 91.5% of sucrose, calculated on the dried basis. The remainder is chiefly starch.

Chemical Name: 

Tablet and capsule diluent.

• Sugar spheres are mainly used as inert cores in capsule and tablet formulations, particularly multiparticulate sustained-release formulations.

• They form the base upon which a drug is coated, usually followed by a release-modifying polymer coating.

• Alternatively, a drug and matrix polymer may be coated onto the cores simultaneously.

• The active drug is released over an extended period either via diffusion through the polymer or through to the controlled erosion of the polymer coating.

• Complex drug mixtures contained within a single-dosage form may be prepared by coating the drugs onto different batches of sugar spheres with different protective polymer coatings.

• Sugar spheres are also used in confectionery products.

See Starch and Sucrose for information concerning the incompatibilities of the component materials of sugar spheres.

Sugar spheres are used in oral pharmaceutical formulations. The sucrose and starch components of sugar spheres are widely used in edible food products and oral pharmaceutical formulations.

Observe normal precautions appropriate to the circumstances and quantity of material handled.

Compressible sugar; confectioner’s sugar; microcrystalline cellulose spheres; NPTAB; starch; sucrose.