Development and Evaluation of Innovative Gummy Tablet Supplement Containing Vitamin C, Vitamin D, and Arginine: Preformulation Study

Abstract

With the increasing influence of modern life, changes in dietary habits, and rising health awareness, vitamin, mineral, and essential amino acid supplements are frequently used, particularly in children and specific patient groups, as well as adults, to strengthen the immune system, protect bone health, and improve quality of life. Oral administration is frequently preferred for food supplements due to its advantages, such as being non-invasive, simple, and safe, and its ability to achieve the desired effect with frequent dosing. Gummy tablets have become a popular dosage form in recent years, especially in the field of vitamins and food supplements, due to their suitable taste, availability in different sizes and shapes, and low cost. In this study, new gummy tablets containing vitamin C, vitamin D, and arginine for oral use as food supplements were developed using a heating-pouring-cooling method. Two different gelling polymers (gelatin and gum arabic) were used, with a plasticizer (propylene glycol), a sweetener (aspartame), a flavoring agent (orange flavor), and a preservative (methyl paraben). Morphological controls, weight, diameter, and thickness measurements, dispersion time in distilled water, artificial saliva, and gastric fluid, as well as pH were performed on the gummy tablets. Based on the characterization studies, the optimum formulation was determined to be CDAGummyF4. CDAGummyF4 showed 1.53±0.03 grams of weight, 16.18±0.35 mm of diameter, 11.90±0.29 mm of height, 37 seconds of disintegration in distilled water, 70 seconds of disintegration in saliva, 54 seconds of disintegration in gastric fluid, and 4.45±0.00 pH. In conclusion, it is foreseen that gummy tablet formulations containing a combination of vitamin C, vitamin D, and arginine will be further developed through in vitro and in vivo studies.