Fixed Dose Oral Dispersible Tablet of Bitter Drug Using Okra Mucilage: Formulation and Evaluation

Abstract

Background: The solid oral dosage forms containing bitter drugs need improved palatability for administration. Formulation scientists have given attention to the improvement of taste masking technologies and utilised various strategies.
 Objective: The present work aimed to mask the bitter taste of Promethazine Hydrochloride by formulating Oral Dispersible Tablets using Okra mucilage as a taste-masking agent. 
 Methods: The Okra mucilage was extracted from Okra by the aqueous extraction process. An emulsion solvent diffusion technique was used for masking the bitter taste of Promethazine Hydrochloride by using Okra mucilage. The Oral Dispersible Tablet was prepared by the wet granulation method. The mucilage and the formulation were characterized and evaluated by standard methods and protocols.
 Results: Taste masking of the bitter drug was successfully achieved by Okra mucilage. The DSC and FTIR study revealed that the drug molecule was compatible with okra mucilage and drug entrapment efficacy was found to be 94.76%. The palatability test asserted that masking of the bitter taste of the drug. The In vitro drug release study showed that the F7 tablet batch has a better drug release rate and followed non- fickian mechanism of drug release.
 Conclusion: Thus, taste masking with Okra mucilage was successful and this opens opportunities for application of common edible substances in formulation development.
 Keywords: Fast disintegrating tablet; Natural polymer; Mouth dissolving tablet; Promethazine Hydrochloride; Taste masking