Abstract:
This experiment aims to study the taste-masking effects of different kinds of corrigent used individually and in combination on ibuprofen oral solution, in order to optimize the taste-masking formulation. Firstly, a wide range of corrigent and the mass fractions were extensively screened using electronic tongue technology. Subsequently, a combination of sensory evaluation, analytic hierarchy process (AHP)-fuzzy mathematics evaluation, and Box-Behnken experimental design were employed to comprehensively assess the taste-masking effects of different combinations of corrigent on ibuprofen oral solution, optimize the taste-masking formulation, and validate the results. The study received ethical approval from the Review Committee of the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine (ethical code: 2024BZYLL0102). The results showed that corrigent fractions and types were screened separately through single-factor experiments. Subsequently, a Box-Behnken response surface design combined with AHP and fuzzy mathematics evaluation was used to fit a functional model:
Z = 688.310 11 - 3 023.722 22
X1 - 11.477 00
X2 + 62.721 67
X3 + 14.600 00
X1X2 - 179.666 67
X1X3 - 3.152 00
X2X3 + 4 031.111 11
X12 + 0.525 28
X22 + 9.772 00
X32. This model is stable and reliable, determining the optimal taste-masking formulation to be 3.9 g·L
-1 of stevioside, 100 g L
-1 of xylitol, and 30 g L
-1 of methyl-
β-cyclodextrin. The comprehensive score of the verification test is 88.14, with a relative RSD of 0.39%, indicating the feasibility of this model. This study achieved the improvement of the taste of ibuprofen oral solution through a combination of objective and subjective methods. Three types of corrigent were identified for enhancing drug taste, leading to the selection of the optimal taste-masking formulation for ibuprofen oral solution. This significantly enhanced the taste of the original formulation, improved patient compliance, and offered a new approach to mitigating the undesirable taste of formulations.