Flavor and taste of lansoprazole strawberry-flavored delayed-release oral suspension preferred over ranitidine peppermint-flavored oral syrup: in children aged between 5-11 years.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the flavor and taste preference of two acid-inhibitory therapies in healthy children aged between 5-11 years.

METHODS

A single-site, single-blind, taste test trial was conducted in which 111 children participated after parental consent. One teaspoonful (5 mL) of lansoprazole delayed-release oral suspension (strawberry-flavored) and ranitidine oral syrup (peppermint-flavored) were provided to each child with a 10-minute break between samples. Children tasted the sample, swished it in their mouth for 10 seconds, and then expectorated the sample. Spring water and crackers were used to clear the palate between samples. After each sampling, children were observed for facial expressions and asked to rate their degree of liking of each sample based on a 5-point facial hedonic scale (5=like it very much, 1=dislike it very much). Likes, dislikes, and product preference were recorded.

RESULTS

Of the 56 female and 54 male children who tasted both samples, 95% (105/110) preferred lansoprazole. Taste and flavor were the most often cited reasons for preferring lansoprazole (61 and 17 children, respectively) while three children preferred the flavor of ranitidine oral syrup. Lansoprazole received a higher mean liking rating compared with ranitidine (mean liking scores of 4.1 and 2.2, respectively). There was no significant difference in the preference for lansoprazole between age groups and gender with the degree of liking scores ranging between 3.5-4.4. Forty-two children disliked the texture of the lansoprazole oral suspension, citing the granules (31/110), thickness (7/110), or consistency/texture (4/110), specifically.

CONCLUSION

After sampling both products, 95% of children preferred the flavor and taste of the strawberry-flavored lansoprazole delayed-release oral suspension compared with the peppermint-flavored ranitidine oral syrup.