OBJECTIVE To evaluate in vitro palatability of oral carbocysteine solutions commonly used in clinical practice to provide a reference basis for pediatric clinical use.

METHODS Six oral carbocysteine solutions commonly used in pediatric clinics were selected, and the bitter taste evaluation of oral carbocysteine solutions from different manufacturers was carried out by using the electronic tongue technique, and the suitable varieties for taste were identified by radar charts, principal component analysis, and calculation of Euclidian distance of the response values determined by the electronic tongue.

RESULTS The bitter aftertaste of carbocysteine oral solution was relatively low, and the bitter taste was mainly caused by the first taste. In the principal component analysis, the cumulative contribution rate of the two principal components reached 98.3%, indicating that the electronic tongue could better reflect most of the information of the original data. Through comparison and analysis with the taste of the active pharmaceutical ingredient, it was found that the sugar-free version of carbocysteine oral solution(Beiling) had the longest Euclide distance(5.63) from the active pharmaceutical ingredient.

CONCLUSION In this study, it found that carbocysteine oral solution(Beiling) Sugar-free type(specification: 100 mL∶2 g) has a better taste, which provides a taste reference basis for clinical drug selection and helps to improve the drug adherence of children in the clinic.