Formulation and in vitro evaluation of taste masked orodispersible dosage form of Levocetirizine dihydrochloride

Levocetrizine Dihydrochloride is an active nonsedative antihistamine. Allergic rhinitis is a significant public health concern in many developed and developing countries. Thus formulating Levocetrizine into an orodispersible dosage form would provide fast relief. But, it is bitter in taste and taste should be masked to formulate it in a palatable form. So in the work undertaken, an attempt was made to mask the taste, by complexation technique using ion-exchange resin, Tulsion 335 ( polyacrylic hydrogen with carboxylic functionality) and to formulate into an orodispersible dosage form. The drug loading onto ion-exchange resin was optimized for concentration of resin, swelling time of resin, stirring time, pH of resin solution and stirring temperature. The resinate was evaluated for taste masking and characterized by DSC and IR. Using drug-resin complex orodispersible tablets were formulated. The tablets were evaluated for drug content, content uniformity, weight variation, hardness, friability, water absorption ratio, invitro and invivo disintegration time and invitro drug release. The tablets disintegrated invitro and invivo within 18 and 22 s respectively. Complete drug was released from tablet within 2 minutes. The results showed that Levocetrizine dihydrochloride was successfully taste masked and formulated into an orodispersible dosage form as an alternative to conventional tablets.