FORMULATION DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF DISPERSIBLE TABLET OF AN ANTI-MALARIAL DRUG

Abstract

Malaria is one of the most deadly diseases. Though it is curable, it causes approximately 88,000 deaths per year. It prevails in almost 108 endemic countries. Malarial cases and deaths are more common in children and pregnant women. Drugs available for the treatment of malaria are bitter in taste which impose problem in patient compliance. Hence, the aim was to mask the bitter taste of drug and to optimize the formulation. Different concentrations (30%, 50% and 70%) of Aquacoat ECD were chosen, wet granulation was carried out and dispersible tablets were prepared. Here, effective taste masking was observed in 30% concentration but there was increase in disintegration time. So by using fluidised bed processor, taste masking was done but high sticking was observed in all trials. For removing sticking defect, magnesium stearate was taken in different concentrations (0.8%, 1% and 1.2%) and 1.2% showed no sticking during tablet compression. For optimizing disintegration time and dispersion time of dispersible tablets, different disintergants with varying concentrations chosen were crospovidone (5%, 7.5% and 10%), croscarmellose sodium (2.5%, 5% and 7.5%) and sodium starch glycolate (2%, 4% and 8%). Even combination of crospovidone and sodium starch glycolate was used. Out of all, crospovidone with 10% concentration showed optimum disintegration and dispersion time but bitter after taste was observed in all the trials. For enhancing flavour, different flavouring agents like banana and vanilla flavours were added and for sweet taste, sucralose was added. Thus it was concluded that final trial showed optimum disintegration time and effective taste masking.