Design development and Evaluation of taste masked oral disintegrating tablets of atenolol- An approach to improve disintegration and onset of action

Abstract

Atenolol is β1-selective adrenergic blocking agent and widely used in the treatment of hypertension and angina pectoris. Administration of conventional tablets of atenolol has been reported to exhibit fluctuation in the plasma drug levels, resulting either in manifestation of side effects or reduction in drug concentration at the receptor site. The objective of this research was to mask the metallic taste of Atenolol and to formulate an orally disintegrating tablet (ODT). Taste masking was done by complexing Atenolol with Eudragit EPO in different ratios by solvent evaporation method. Drug-polymer complex were evaluated for drug content, in-vivo taste evaluation and molecular property. 1:2 ratio of drug-polymer complex did not show drug release in SSF and was considered as taste masked. Drug-polymer complex was then formulated into orally disintegrating tablets by direct compression by using different concentrations of superdisintegrants. Tablets were evaluated for weight variation, hardness, thickness, friability, drug content, wetting time, water absorption ratio, in vitro disintegration time and cumulative percentage drug release. Tablets of F6 formulation containing 6% crospovidone showed faster disintegration within 22.6 seconds. Taste evaluation studies conducted on eight healthy human volunteers.