Evaluation of taste masking effect of diclofenac using sweeteners and cyclodextrin by a potentiometric electronic tongue

- The constructed sensor array was used for the taste masking efficiency of diclofenac using sweeteners and cyclodextrin.
- The most pronounced taste masking was observed for CD-s, acesulfame, sodium saccharin (and sucrose at higher concentration).
- Lactose was inappropriate for this task.

In this work a potentiometric electronic tongue based on classical ion-selective electrodes (6 types) and solid contact electrodes (2 types) was applied. The classical electrodes based on PVC membrane with other plasticizers exhibited cation-, anion-, amine-, and carbonate sensitivity, while the solid contact electrodes based on different lipophilic salts established diclofenac sensitivity. These sensors were used to assess the taste masking efficiency of diclofenac using selected sweeteners and cyclodextrin. Various amounts of four sweeteners (namely: sucrose, lactose, acesulfame K, sodium saccharin) as well as 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin were applied to mask the bitter taste of diclofenac. The signals of the sensor array registered during the experiments were processed by the Principal Component Analysis. The results obtained i.e. the chemical images of the samples indicated that the taste masking effect was the most pronounced for cyclodextrin, acesulfame K, sodium saccharin and for sucrose at higher concentration, whereas was almost negligible in the case of the presence of lactose in solution.