Iron and Folic Acid Tablets

This is a two-nutrient tablet built around a buyer-selected iron source and folic acid. Ferrous fumarate, CAS 141-01-5, is the workhorse: at C4H2FeO4 and a molecular weight of 169.9 it carries about 32.9 per cent elemental iron by formula, so a 60 mg elemental dose needs roughly 182 mg of salt before any manufacturing overage. Ferrous bisglycinate, CAS 20150-34-9, is the 1:2 iron-glycine chelate specified where taste, low astringency and a reduced metallic note drive the brief; because commercial chelate is hygroscopic and variably hydrated, the elemental iron figure is taken from the supplier's certificate rather than calculated from the formula. Carbonyl iron, CAS 7439-89-6, is elemental iron at not less than 98.0 per cent to USP-NF with the fine spherical particle size that route produces. Folic acid is pteroyl-L-glutamic acid, CAS 59-30-3, C19H19N7O6, molecular weight 441.40, assayed 97.0 to 102.0 per cent on the anhydrous basis to USP and 96.0 to 102.0 per cent to Ph. Eur. and BP. Typical builds run 14 to 100 mg elemental iron against 400 microgram, 500 microgram or 1 mg of folic acid, with the ceiling set by the destination market rather than by formulation limits. WHO's reference figure for supplementation in pregnancy, 30 to 60 mg elemental iron with 400 microgram folic acid daily, is the anchor most tender specifications are written around and is quoted here only to frame strength selection. Iron catalyses folate degradation on storage, so the two actives are granulated separately or the folate is coated, and Alu-Alu blistering is advised for hot, humid destinations. Excipient choice carries the allergen and diet declaration, and this is where iron tablets most often trip a buyer up. Thovek builds lactose-free as standard on microcrystalline cellulose and dicalcium phosphate, keeping milk off the label, and uses vegetable-sourced magnesium stearate rather than tallow-derived so that the vegan claim holds. The aqueous HPMC film coat is free of shellac and carmine for the same reason. Tablets are vegan and vegetarian and free of milk, egg, soy, fish, crustacean, mollusc, cereal gluten, peanut, tree nut, sesame, mustard, celery, lupin and sulphites. Release testing covers iron by AAS or ICP-OES, folic acid by HPLC, uniformity of dosage units, hardness, friability, disintegration, dissolution and microbial limits. Thovek describes composition only; permitted label wording is the buyer's responsibility in the destination market.