Pelletization Technology: Methods and Applications-A Review

Pellets are small free flowing; spherical particulates manufactured by the agglomeration of fine powder or granules. Different types of techniques used to produce pellets are referred to as pelletization techniques. In relation to pharmaceuticals, pellets offer high degree of flexibility in design and development of oral dosage form. They offer desired dose strength, can be blended to deliver incompatible bioactive agents and can be blended to provide different release profiles. The most commonly use pelletization processes are Extrusion spheronization, Hot melt extrusion, Solution or suspension layering, Powder layering, High shear pelletization, Freeze pelletization, Cryopelletization, Crystallo-co-agglomeration, Wet spherical agglomeration, Spherical crystallization etc. In present review we will be explaining widely used pelletization techniques especially are Extrusion Spheronization and Hot Melt Extrusion in detail with methods and applications in pharmaceutical industries because these techniques represent an efficient pathway for novel drug delivery system today.