Design and Development of Taste Masked Cefpodoxime Dispersible Tablets

Cefpodoxime proxetil (CP), a broad-spectrum cephalosporin antibiotic is used in this advanced era for treating acute bacterial infections. It has slightly bitter taste, poor water solubility and requires immediate release of drug from the dosage form, which serves the aim of fabricating CP as a dispersible tablet. The present study was undertaken to formulate taste masked cefpodoxime proxetil dispersible tablets by direct compression method. Different techniques for taste masking such as use of sweeteners and flavours, complexation with beta cyclodextrin and particle coating with stearic acid were studied. The blend was subjected to pre-compression studies such as angle of repose, bulk density, tapped density, compressibility index and Hausner ratio. After compression, the dispersible tablets were characterized using various tests such as hardness, weight variation, disintegration, water absorption, drug content, in vitro release, microbiological studies, taste evaluation and accelerated stability studies. The method of particle coating with stearic acid has shown excellent taste masking efficiency and flow properties for the powder blend. Different concentrations of stearic acid (2.5%, 5% and 7.5%) were used; out of which 5% stearic acid has shown better results. Antimicrobial assay proved that optimized formulation of CP dispersible tablet exhibits significant antimicrobial activity against Escherchia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus epidermidis.