No More Yucky Face!
As parents know all too well, children do not like taking oral medicines. It’s literally a hard thing for them to swallow, and it doesn’t taste good.
Scientists have been trying to make medicine that are tasty and have good texture so children can swallow them better. Yet, safety is also a concern, as the ingredients used need to be safe for children.
Researchers at South Dakota State University have found a way to make medicine better tasting and safer for children. They wrap the medicine in layers of corn and milk proteins.
The core technology is using zein, a protein found in dried distillers grain, to wrap the medicine. The zein proteins are in nanoparticle form, about 500 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. In addition, another layer of milk protein is added around the medicine. This layer masks the taste of the medicine.
The layer of zein nanoparticles protect the drug, and the milk proten layer makes the drug water soluble so it can dissolve in the child’s system. In medicine for adults, alcohol can be used to make the drug soluble. However, this is out of the question for using in drugs for children.
The researchers said they can apply this technology for liquid medicine, chewable tablets and capsules. They can even use it in food sprinkles.
If you have children, the day may be coming where they don’t make that yucky face when you try to give them their medicine.
