Abstract
Ofloxacin is a synthetic chemotherapeutic antibiotic used for treatment of a variety of bacterial infections, but therapy suffers from low patients’ compliance due to its unpleasant taste. This study was aimed to develop taste masked microspheres of ofloxacin using Eudragit and to prepare orodispersible tablets of the formulated microspheres using natural superdisintegrant. Taste masking Eudragit E100 microspheres were prepared by solvent evaporation technique with an entrapment efficiency ranging from 69.54 ± 1.98 to 86.52 ± 2.25%. DSC revealed no interaction between the drug and polymer. Microspheres prepared at a drug/polymer ratio of 1:4 and 1:5 revealed sufficient flow properties and better taste masking as compared to other ratios. Drug loaded microspheres were formulated as orodispersible tablets using locust bean gum as a natural superdisintegrant offering the advatages of biocompatibility and biodegrad-ability. The wetting time, water absorption ratio and in-vitro disintegration time of the tablets were found to range between 19 ± 2 to 10 ± 3 seconds, 59.11 ± 0.65 to 85.76 ± 0.96 and 22 ± 2 to 10 ± 2 seconds, respectively. The in-vitro ofloxacin release was about 97.25% within 2h. The results obtained from the study suggested the use of eudragit polymer for preparing ofloxacin loaded microspheres with an aim to mask the bitter taste of the drug and furthermore orodispersible tablets could be formulated using locust bean gum as a natural superdisintegrant.
Highlights
Any medication which imparts an unpleasant taste is likely to result in poor patient compliance to a drug regimen especially for the children and elderly
Sweet taste is mostly detected at the tip of the tongue, bitter taste at the back and the salty taste is sensed at the sides of the tongue [2]
Eudragit E100 is a polymethacrylate with pH dependent solubility, used for taste masking
Summary
Any medication which imparts an unpleasant taste is likely to result in poor patient compliance to a drug regimen especially for the children and elderly. Taste Masked Microspheres of Ofloxacin: Formulation and Evaluation of Orodispersible Tablets 655 orodispersible tablets include lyophilization [13], moulding [14], direct compression [15], cotton candy process [16], spray drying [17], sublimation [18] and nanonization [19] These techniques are based on the principles of increasing porosity and/or addition of superdisintegrants and water soluble excipients in the tablets [20]. Owing to extensive swelling properties and superdisintegrant action of locust bean gum, it was used as superdisintegrant in orodispersible tablets containing taste masked microspheres of ofloxacin. The purpose of the present study was to formulate orodispersible tablets containing taste masked microspheres of ofloxacin by utilising a natural superdisintegrant (locust bean gum). The microspheres were dried at room temperature in a desiccator and stored in desiccator till further use
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