Physiochemical characterization of taste masking levetiracetam ion exchange resinates in the solid state and formulation of stable liquid suspension for pediatric use

Abstract

In the present work, an attempt has been made to mask the bitter taste of Levetiracetam using various ion-exchange resins such as Amberlite IRP69 and Duolite AP143. The physicochemical characteristics of the drug–resin complex in the solid state were studied. FT-IR studies revealed that there is no interaction between drug and resin. The DSC and XRD studies proved that the drug is in amorphous nature. Using the same concentration of resins, Xanthan gum as suspending agent in a liquid dosage form for pediatric use was formulated. Evaluation parameters such as drug content, sedimentation volume, re-dispersibility and viscosity of the prepared suspension were found to be satisfactory. The higher Zeta potential value indicates the stability of the suspension. Suspension prepared with Duolite AP 143 efficiently masks the bitter taste of Levetiracetam compared to Amberlite IRP69. From the in vitro drug release, a formulation with 1:2 ratios of resin has shown the maximum release at the end of 90 minutes. The sustained effect is due to one of the properties of the resin. The release profile follows zero order kinetics. The results obtained in this work show that drug–resin complexes effectively masked the bitter taste of Levetiracetam while liquid formulation provides an easier way to administer and to overcome problems with noncompliance of pediatrics.

Keywords

• Levetiracetam
• Taste masking
• Ion-exchange resins
• Solid-state characteristics
• Suspension