Taste Masking Method For Bitter Drug and Tasteless Dispersible Tablet: An Overview

The problem of bitter and obnoxious taste of drug in pediatric and geriatric formulations is a challenge to the pharmacist in the present scenario. In order to ensure patient compliance bitterness masking becomes essential. Molecule interacts with taste receptor on the tongue to give bitter, sweet or other taste sensation, when they dissolve in saliva. This sensation is the result of signal transduction from the receptor organs for taste, commonly known as taste buds. These taste buds contain very sensitive nerve endings, which produce and transmit electrical impulses via the seventh, ninth and tenth cranial nerves to those areas of the brain, which are devoted to the perception of taste

Taste masking method for bitter drug and tasteless dispersible tablet: an overview

 

Rajendra Jangde, Shailendra Saraf, Sanjay Daharwal*, Swarnlata Saraf

Institute of pharmacy, Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur(C.G.), India 492010

* Corresponding author

Introduction

The problem of bitter and obnoxious taste of drug in pediatric and geriatric formulations is a challenge to the pharmacist in the present scenario. In order to ensure patient compliance bitterness masking becomes essential. Molecule interacts with taste receptor on the tongue to give bitter, sweet or other taste sensation, when they dissolve in saliva. This sensation is the result of signal transduction from the receptor organs for taste, commonly known as taste buds. These taste buds contain very sensitive nerve endings, which produce and transmit electrical impulses via the seventh, ninth and tenth cranial nerves to those areas of the brain, which are devoted to the perception of taste (1). Two approaches are commonly utilized to overcome bad taste of the drug (2). The first includes reduction of drug solubility in saliva, where a balance between reduced solubility and bioavailability must be achieved. Seen approach is to alter the ability of the drug to interact with taste receptor. An ideal taste masking process and formulation and characterization should have the following properties (3).  

  1. Involve least number of equipments and processing steps.
  2. Require minimum number of excipients for an optimum formulation 
  3. No adverse effect on drug bioavailability
  4. Require excipients that are economical and easily available.
  5. Least manufacturing cost.
  6. Can be carried out at room temperature.
  7. Require excipients that have high margin of safety
  8. Rapid and easy to prepare.

 

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