Taste masking of roxithromycin by spray drying technique

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Technology
• Drug Delivery Systems
• Materials Science

Background:

• Roxithromycin, a widely used antibiotic, suffers from a bitter taste, necessitating effective taste-masking strategies for improved patient compliance.
• Developing palatable oral dosage forms is crucial for pediatric and geriatric populations.
• Microencapsulation offers a promising approach for taste masking and controlled drug release.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate roxithromycin-loaded microcapsules using spray drying for efficient taste masking.
• To assess the taste-masking performance of Eudragit L30D-55 as a barrier coating.
• To quantify the duration of the taste-masking effect in an aqueous environment.

Main Methods:

• Microcapsules containing roxithromycin were prepared using the spray drying technique.
• Eudragit L30D-55 was employed as the polymer coating material for microencapsulation.
• An electronic tongue system was utilized to objectively evaluate the taste of the microcapsules.
• The stability of the taste-masking effect in water was monitored over time.

Main Results:

• Spray drying successfully produced roxithromycin microcapsules with high taste-masking efficiency.
• Eudragit L30D-55 demonstrated effective barrier properties, significantly reducing the perceived bitterness of roxithromycin.
• The electronic tongue analysis confirmed a substantial and prolonged taste-masking effect.
• The taste-masking effect in water was observed to last for several dozen hours.

Conclusions:

• Spray drying is a viable and effective method for producing taste-masked roxithromycin microcapsules.
• Eudragit L30D-55 is a suitable polymer for achieving long-lasting taste masking of roxithromycin.
• The developed microcapsules offer a promising solution for improving the palatability of roxithromycin formulations.