Abstract
The aim of present investigation was to develop a taste masked
fast dissolving sublingual strips of rizatriptan benzoate. The
fast dissolving strips (FDS) were prepared by solvent casting
method using polyox N-10 and polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG
400) as polymer and plasticizer respectively. The FDS were
evaluated for pH, folding endurance, tensile strength, moisture
absorption, disintegration time and in vitro dissolution. All
formulations were free from bubble and exhibited smooth
appearance. The pH of the films was acidic. It was observed
that increase in the concentration of polyox N-10 increased
the disintegration time but reduced the dissolution rate.
The formulation A2 showed all the evaluation parameters
within the acceptable range and was considered as optimized
formulation. The optimized formulation was subjected to the
taste masking and stability study. The results of taste masking
study indicated an efficient masking of the bitter taste of drug
by the flavouring agents in the film. The formulation A2 was
found to be stable for three months with an insignificant
change in the drug content and mean dissolution time (MDT).
The compatibility study performed using ATR-FTIR and
DSC analysis indicated absence of any unusual interaction
between drug and excipients used in formulation. Thus, the
FDS comprised of polyox N-10 and PEG 400 may be a better
alternative to the other available fast dissolving systems for
delivery of rizatriptan benzoate.