Preparation and evaluation of taste-masked dextromethorphan oral disintegrating tablet

This study was aimed at preparing and evaluating oral disintegrating tablets (ODTs) using a strongly cationic resin, Amberlite (R) IRP-69, to mask the bitter taste of a delivered drug, i..e. dextromethorphan hydrobromide. The drug was loaded into the resin (referred to as resinate) or physically mixed with the resin (referred to as physical mixture), and was then incorporated into ODTs by direct compression. A variety of formulae was developed to acquire the optimal formulations of taste-masked ODTs that had acceptable hardness and mouth feel (grittiness). The optimized ODTs were further evaluated for thickness, diameter, weight, friability, disintegration time, wetting time, wetting rate, drug content, drug release and degree of bitter taste, respectively. The thickness, diameter, weight and friability of the tablet with resinate were slightly higher than those with physical mixture. The tablet with resinate had a longer disintegration time, corresponding with its slower wetting time and rate. Both tablets with resinate and physical mixture provided a sustained pattern of drug release. However, only tablets with resinate successfully masked the bitter taste of the drug. In conclusion, the combination of drug and ion exchange resin as resinate could increase the palatability and acceptability of ODTs containing bitter drugs.