Malwina Anna Lachowicz, Andrzej Stańczak, Michał Krzysztof Kołodziejczyk

Selected taste masking techniques of active ingredients
2021-12-29

The unpleasant taste, which characterizes a large group of medicinal substances, may be a challenge both for scientists at the stage of designing a drug form, as well as for the patient when taking a given preparation. Taste impressions play an important role nowadays, sometimes being one of the selection criteria that a patient follows during visits to community pharmacies. They could also have a positive impact on the impression of a given preparation and, as a result, the successful commercialization of a medicinal product. The taste experience plays a key role in the case of oral forms of a drug, and above all, soluble forms and other liquid forms of drugs. The main target groups of liquid medicinal preparations are pediatric patients and people with problems swallowing oral solid forms, as well as seniors. Especially children are a group of patients for whom the type of taste is extremely important. Drug substances characterized by an unpleasant taste and / or odor, due to low patient acceptance, may also reduce the effectiveness of the treatment process. Effective masking of the unpleasant taste of a given drug substance is possible because of the development of many techniques enabling this process, which in turn may translate into more regular drug intake by the patient according to appropriate recommendations. The masking of the unpleasant taste of API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) can be achieved by a variety of methods. The aim of the article is to discuss some of the most popular. This article presents techniques using the addition of flavors and / or sweeteners, microencapsulation, rheological changes, formation of inclusion complexes, granulation, multiple emulsions, ion exchange resins, and the use of liposomes. It should be noted that the selection of the appropriate method should be guided by several aspects, including, in particular, the physicochemical properties of a given drug substance, the frequency of dosing, and the form of the drug.

Keywords: taste masking, bitter taste, oral pharmaceuticals, microencapsulation, ion exchange resins.

© Farm Pol, 2022, 78(10): 565–570