Tablet excipients are vital inactive ingredients in tablet formulation that influence manufacturability, stability, dissolution and bioavailability. For B. Pharm students, understanding excipient classes—binders, lubricants, disintegrants, fillers/diluents, glidants and film-coating agents—is essential for rational product development and troubleshooting. Key considerations include excipient compatibility with the API, effect on tablet compression, moisture sensitivity, and roles in immediate versus sustained release systems. Practical knowledge of excipient selection, testing (e.g., flow, compressibility, loss on drying) and common incompatibilities accelerates formulation development and improves product quality. Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.
Q1. What is the primary definition of a tablet excipient?
- An inactive substance used to formulate tablets and aid manufacturing, stability, or delivery
- The active pharmaceutical ingredient that provides therapeutic effect
- A contaminant introduced during production
- A coating material only used for appearance
Correct Answer: An inactive substance used to formulate tablets and aid manufacturing, stability, or delivery
Q2. Which is a main function of tablet excipients in product development?
- To provide the primary therapeutic effect
- To facilitate manufacturing, ensure stability and control drug release
- To increase patient metabolism of the drug
- To replace the active drug when supply is low
Correct Answer: To facilitate manufacturing, ensure stability and control drug release
Q3. What is the primary role of a binder in a tablet formulation?
- To reduce interparticle friction during flow
- To promote adhesion between powder particles and form a coherent tablet
- To accelerate tablet disintegration in GI fluids
- To mask unpleasant taste
Correct Answer: To promote adhesion between powder particles and form a coherent tablet
Q4. Which statement correctly describes the function of a lubricant?
- It increases tablet porosity to enhance dissolution
- It reduces friction between tablet and die walls during ejection
- It acts as the main diluent in direct compression
- It binds particles permanently to prevent disintegration
Correct Answer: It reduces friction between tablet and die walls during ejection
Q5. What is the main purpose of a disintegrant in a tablet?
- To increase tablet hardness and reduce friability
- To facilitate breakup of the tablet into smaller fragments for dissolution
- To produce sustained release by forming a gel layer
- To act as an enteric coating material
Correct Answer: To facilitate breakup of the tablet into smaller fragments for dissolution
Q6. Which of the following is a commonly used filler/diluent in tablet formulations?
- Lactose
- Magnesium stearate
- Colloidal silicon dioxide
- Citric acid
Correct Answer: Lactose
Q7. Which excipient is most suitable for direct compression because of its binding and flow properties?
- Sodium bicarbonate
- Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC)
- Polydextrose
- Magnesium trisilicate
Correct Answer: Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC)
Q8. Excessive magnesium stearate in a formulation commonly causes:
- Improved wettability and faster dissolution
- Hydrophobic coating of particles and reduced dissolution rate
- Increased powder flow and compressibility
- Enhanced tablet disintegration
Correct Answer: Hydrophobic coating of particles and reduced dissolution rate
Q9. What is the role of a glidant in tablet powder blends?
- To reduce interparticle friction and improve powder flow
- To act as the primary binder for granules
- To delay drug release in sustained-release tablets
- To neutralize acidic APIs
Correct Answer: To reduce interparticle friction and improve powder flow
Q10. Which is a commonly used glidant in tablet manufacturing?
- Colloidal silicon dioxide (Aerosil)
- Croscarmellose sodium
- Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)
- Calcium carbonate
Correct Answer: Colloidal silicon dioxide (Aerosil)
Q11. Which excipient is an example of a superdisintegrant?
- Croscarmellose sodium
- Sucrose
- Magnesium stearate
- Talc
Correct Answer: Croscarmellose sodium
Q12. A key characteristic of superdisintegrants is:
- They are used at very high concentrations (>50%)
- They swell rapidly and act at low concentrations (1–5%)
- They act as primary lubricants
- They form insoluble films to sustain release
Correct Answer: They swell rapidly and act at low concentrations (1–5%)
Q13. Which is a synthetic binder commonly used in wet granulation?
- Povidone (PVP)
- Sodium bicarbonate
- Dibasic calcium phosphate
- Colloidal silica
Correct Answer: Povidone (PVP)
Q14. Tablet capping and lamination are usually due to:
- Excess binder and very hard tablets
- Air entrapment, inadequate binder, or poor granule plasticity
- High concentration of disintegrant
- Use of hydrophilic fillers exclusively
Correct Answer: Air entrapment, inadequate binder, or poor granule plasticity
Q15. What does Carr’s index predict about a powder blend?
- Only the chemical compatibility of excipients
- Powder flowability and compressibility
- The taste masking efficiency of coating
- The exact dissolution rate of the tablet
Correct Answer: Powder flowability and compressibility
Q16. Which lubricant is most frequently implicated in reduced drug dissolution due to hydrophobic effects?
- Magnesium stearate
- Microcrystalline cellulose
- Starch
- Lactose
Correct Answer: Magnesium stearate
Q17. Film-coating excipients are primarily used to:
- Make tablets disintegrate faster in the stomach
- Protect the drug from moisture, mask taste and modify release
- Act as the main disintegrant in formulations
- Directly increase API potency
Correct Answer: Protect the drug from moisture, mask taste and modify release
Q18. Which excipient pair is typical for effervescent tablet formulations?
- Sodium bicarbonate and citric acid
- Lactose and magnesium stearate
- Colloidal silicon dioxide and talc
- HPMC and PVP
Correct Answer: Sodium bicarbonate and citric acid
Q19. For a moisture-sensitive API, which diluent is preferred due to low bound water?
- Dibasic calcium phosphate
- Hydrophilic carrier like mannitol
- Starch paste
- Gelatin
Correct Answer: Dibasic calcium phosphate
Q20. What is the function of a plasticizer in a film coating formulation?
- To increase film brittleness and cracking
- To increase film flexibility and reduce brittleness
- To act as a primary disintegrant
- To neutralize acidic APIs
Correct Answer: To increase film flexibility and reduce brittleness
Q21. Loss on drying (LOD) is used to assess:
- The tablet’s tensile strength
- The residual moisture content of excipients or granules
- The lubricity of magnesium stearate
- The pH of an aqueous extract
Correct Answer: The residual moisture content of excipients or granules
Q22. For a heat-sensitive API, which tableting approach is generally most suitable?
- Dry granulation or direct compression to avoid high-temperature drying
- Hot-melt granulation with high drying temperatures
- Prolonged oven drying after wet granulation
- Spray drying at high inlet temperatures
Correct Answer: Dry granulation or direct compression to avoid high-temperature drying
Q23. Which technique is commonly used for taste masking of bitter APIs in tablets?
- Coating API particles with polymeric film
- Mixing API with magnesium stearate only
- Increasing tablet hardness exclusively
- Adding effervescent salts alone
Correct Answer: Coating API particles with polymeric film
Q24. Which excipient is commonly used to formulate hydrophilic matrix sustained-release tablets?
- Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)
- Lactose monohydrate only
- Magnesium stearate as matrix former
- Citric acid
Correct Answer: Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)
Q25. How does particle size reduction of the API generally affect tablet dissolution?
- Smaller particle size increases surface area and usually increases dissolution rate
- Smaller particle size always decreases dissolution
- Particle size has no effect on dissolution
- Larger particles always dissolve faster
Correct Answer: Smaller particle size increases surface area and usually increases dissolution rate
Q26. Surfactants in tablet formulations are primarily used to:
- Act as disintegrants by swelling
- Improve wetting of hydrophobic particles and enhance dissolution
- Provide mechanical strength to tablets
- Make the tablet more hydrophobic
Correct Answer: Improve wetting of hydrophobic particles and enhance dissolution
Q27. Which analytical technique is commonly used to detect chemical incompatibilities between API and excipients?
- Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)
- Tablet hardness tester
- Angle of repose measurement
- Particle size sieve analysis
Correct Answer: Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)
Q28. Which parameter specifically describes the mechanical strength required to break a tablet?
- Disintegration time
- Friability percentage
- Crushing strength (tablet hardness)
- Moisture content
Correct Answer: Crushing strength (tablet hardness)
Q29. Which natural excipient is commonly used as a binder in traditional tablet formulations?
- Starch
- Poloxamer
- Colloidal silicon dioxide
- Magnesium stearate
Correct Answer: Starch
Q30. Which common API–excipient interaction is a classic stability concern in aspirin tablets?
- Aspirin hydrolysis with alkaline excipients (e.g., basic salts) leading to salicylic acid formation
- Aspirin forming stronger complexes with lactose to increase potency
- Aspirin reacting with magnesium stearate to form insoluble complexes that increase dissolution
- Aspirin becomes more stable in presence of moisture
Correct Answer: Aspirin hydrolysis with alkaline excipients (e.g., basic salts) leading to salicylic acid formation
I am a Registered Pharmacist under the Pharmacy Act, 1948, and the founder of PharmacyFreak.com. I hold a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Rungta College of Pharmaceutical Science and Research. With a strong academic foundation and practical knowledge, I am committed to providing accurate, easy-to-understand content to support pharmacy students and professionals. My aim is to make complex pharmaceutical concepts accessible and useful for real-world application.
Mail- Sachin@pharmacyfreak.com