Abstract

ION EXCHANGE RESIN COMPLEXATION TECHNIQUE FOR PHARMACEUTICAL TASTE MASKING: AN OVERVIEW

Deepak Kaushik and Harish Dureja*

Abstract

Ion exchange resins have gained immense significance in the recent years owing to their multiple benefits as drug delivery vehicles. Taste masking of bitter tasting drugs have emerged as one of the major application of ion exchange resins in pharmaceutical product development. The major highlight of ion exchange resin complexation is the retarded release of drug in saliva and complete release from the complex in gastric environment. Thus taste masking of bitter drug is achieved without affecting its intrinsic bioavailability. Ion exchange resins are polymers that contain appropriately substituted acidic groups, such as carboxylic and sulfonic for cation exchangers; or basic groups, such as quaternary ammonium group for anion exchangers. In the present review, the technique of ion exchange resin complexation has been presented as a viable technique for taste masking of bitter pharmaceuticals to improve patient compliance. The manuscript highlights the different types of ion exchange resins employed for complexation, its mechanism and application in pharmaceutical taste masking. The methods for preparation of ion exchange resinate and factors affecting the complexation are also briefly discussed in the present article.

Keywords: taste masking; resinates; ion exchange resins; complexation; bitter drugs.