Natural Gums as Superdisintegrant in Fast Dissolving Tablets: Mechanistic Insights, Comparative Evaluation and Future Perspectives

Fast dissolving tablets (FDTs) are solid oral dosage forms designed to disintegrate rapidly in the oral cavity without the need for water, thereby enhancing patient compliance, especially in pediatric, geriatric, and dysphagic populations. The performance of FDTs is largely governed by the efficiency of superdisintegrants incorporated into the formulation. Although synthetic superdisintegrants such as croscarmellose sodium, crospovidone, and sodium starch glycolate are widely employed, growing interest in sustainability, biocompatibility, and cost-effectiveness has directed attention toward natural gums derived from plant sources. Natural polysaccharides including guar gum, xanthan gum, locust bean gum, fenugreek mucilage, okra mucilage, and Plantago ovata mucilage exhibit intrinsic swelling, hydration, and wicking properties suitable for rapid tablet disintegration. This review critically examines the physicochemical characteristics, disintegration mechanisms, structure function relationships, modification strategies, comparative performance with synthetic agents, safety considerations, and regulatory aspects of natural gums used in FDT formulations. Emphasis is placed on mechanistic understanding, swelling kinetics, excipient drug compatibility, and formulation optimization. The review also highlights current limitations and future research directions aimed at enhancing the performance consistency and industrial applicability of natural superdisintegrants