Compaction of Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) and Stevia Rebaudiana Food Powders

This study has been conducted to evaluate the suitability of sweet potato and Stevia powders as tablets in terms of their compaction behavior and mechanical strength in comparison to an established pharmaceutical binder; microcrystalline cellulose. The results indicated that the behavior of the material during compression, namely, the plastic and elastic deformations influences the final tablet mechanical strength. Relatively high plastic deformation of a material during compression enhances the contact area for interparticulate bonding, thus, producing a mechanically strong tablet. It was observed that the compaction of stevia powder produces a mechanically stronger tablet in comparison to the sweet potato tablet.