Efficient Praziquantel Encapsulation into Polymer Microcapsules and Taste Masking Evaluation Using an Electronic Tongue

Taste masking is an important strategy for improving adherence of patients, especially children, who have to take pharmaceutical drugs with a bitter taste, as is the case of praziquantel (PZQ) used to treat schistosomiasis. In this work, a modified interfacial polymer deposition method was used to prepare polymer microcapsules and microspheres to encapsulate PZQ, where formulations were optimized to fulfill the stringent requirements for controlled drug release. In vitro release tests confirmed the suitability of the formulation with microcapsules of the anionic copolymer L30D, in which the loading of PZQ was larger than 90% in solutions that were stable at low pH but released PZQ under enteric conditions. We also show that the encapsulation was effective in terms of masking PZQ taste through the analysis with an electronic tongue.