Nanofiller for the mechanical reinforcement of maltodextrins orodispersible films

Orodispersible Films: Current Innovations and Emerging Trends

Orodispersible films (ODFs) are thin, mechanically strong, and flexible polymeric films that are designed to dissolve or disintegrate rapidly in the oral cavity for local and/or systemic drug delivery. This review examines various aspects of ODFs and their potential as a drug delivery system. Recent advancements, including the detailed exploration of formulation components, such as polymers and plasticizers, are briefed. The review highlights the versatility of preparation methods, particularly the solvent-casting production process, and novel 3D printing techniques that bring inherent flexibility. Three-dimensional printing technology not only diversifies active compounds but also enables a multilayer approach, effectively segregating incompatible drugs. The integration of nanoparticles into ODF formulations marks a significant breakthrough, thus enhancing the efficiency of oral drug delivery and broadening the scope of the drugs amenable to this route. This review also sheds light on the diverse in vitro evaluation methods utilized to characterize ODFs, ongoing clinical trials, approved marketed products, and recent patents, providing a comprehensive outlook of the evolving landscape of orodispersible drug delivery. Current patient-centric approaches involve developing ODFs with patient-friendly attributes, such as improved taste masking, ease of administration, and enhanced patient compliance, along with the personalization of ODF formulations to meet individual patient needs. Investigating novel functional excipients with the potential to enhance the permeation of high-molecular-weight polar drugs, fragile proteins, and oligonucleotides is crucial for rapid progress in the advancing domain of orodispersible drug delivery.

Orodispersible Film Based on Maltodextrin: A Convenient and Suitable Method for Iron Supplementation

Orodispersible film (ODF) is an innovative dosage form used to administer drugs and nutrients, designed to disintegrate or dissolve in the oral cavity without needing water. One of the advantages of ODF is that it is suitable for administration in older people and children who have difficulty swallowing because of psychological or physiological deficiencies. This article describes the development of an ODF based on maltodextrin, which is easy to administer, has a pleasant taste, and is suitable for iron supplementation. An ODF containing 30 mg of iron as pyrophosphate and 400 µg of folic acid (iron ODF) was developed and manufactured on an industrial scale. The kinetic profile for serum iron and folic acid upon consumption of ODF compared with a Sucrosomial^® iron capsule (known for its high bioavailability) was evaluated in a crossover clinical trial. The study was conducted in nine healthy women, and the serum iron profile (AUC_0-8, T_max, and C_max) of both formulations was defined. Results showed that the rate and extent of elemental iron absorption with iron ODF was comparable to that obtained using the Sucrosomial^® iron capsule. These data represent the first evidence of iron and folic acid absorption concerning the newly developed ODF. Iron ODF was proven to be a suitable product for oral iron supplementation.

Orodispersible Film (ODF) Platform Based on Maltodextrin for Therapeutical Applications

Orodispersible film (ODF) is a new dosage form that disperses rapidly in the mouth without water or swallowing. The main ingredient of an ODF is a polymer that can be both of natural or synthetic origin. Maltodextrin is a natural polymer, mainly used in pharmaceutical and nutraceutical fields. This review aims to examine the literature regarding ODFs based on maltodextrin as the platform for developing new products for therapeutical application. ODFs based on maltodextrin contain plasticizers that enhance their flexibility and reduce their brittleness. Surfactants; fillers, such as homopolymer and copolymer of vinylacetate; flavour and sweetener were introduced to improve ODF characteristics. Both water-soluble and insoluble APIs were introduced up to 100 mg per dosage unit. The solvent casting method and hot-melt extrusion are the most useful techniques for preparing ODFs. In particular, the solvent casting method allows manufacturing processes to be developed from a lab scale to an industrial scale. ODFs based on maltodextrin are characterized in terms of mechanical properties, dissolution rate, taste and stability. ODFs made of maltodextrin, developed by IBSA, were tested in vivo to evaluate their bioequivalence and efficacy and were demonstrated to be a valid alternative to the marketed oral dosage forms.

Orodispersible films: Conception to quality by design

Orodispersible films (ODFs) are ultra-thin, stamp-sized, elegant, portable and patient-centric pharmaceutical dosage forms that do not need water to be ingested. They are particularly useful for paediatric and geriatric patient populations with special needs such as dysphagia, Parkinson's disease, and oral cancer. Accordingly, they hold tremendous potential in gaining patient compliance, convenience and pharmacotherapy. In the present review, conception and evolution of ODFs as a product and its technology are discussed. The review continues by providing overview about the potential of ODFs as carriers for delivering drugs, herbal extracts, probiotics and vaccines. Besides, strategies employed in drug cargo loading, taste masking of bitter drugs and enhancing drug stability are discussed. Finally, the review concludes by providing a brief overview about quality by design (QbD) principles in development of ODFs.

Extemporaneous printing of diclofenac orodispersible films for pediatrics

OBJECTIVE

The possible application of a hot-melt ram extrusion printing to the preparation of diclofenac orodispersible films (ODF) made of maltodextrin was studied focusing the attention on the effects of taste-masking agents (i.e. namely mint, licorice-mint, and sucralose) and an opacifier (titanium dioxide [TiO₂]).

SIGNIFICANCE

This is a proof-of-concept of the feasibility to print ODF loaded with a thermosensitive drug substance by hot-melt technologies.

METHODS

Diclofenac sodium (DNa) ODF made of maltodextrin (dextrose equivalent (DE) = 6 ) plasticized with glycerol were prepared by hot-melt extrusion printing. ODF were characterized for disintegration time, drug content, and solid state, in vitro dissolution in deionized water and simulated salivary fluid at pH 5.7, tensile, and adhesive properties. Moreover, the stability of ODF was assessed in accelerated conditions over six months.

RESULTS

After the preparation, no variation in drug solid state was evident and the formation of impurity A of DNa was detected, even if it remained below the Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) limits (< 0.2%). Only the addition of DNa significantly improved the ODF tensile properties: the tensile strength increased from 0.17 ± 0.03 MPa (placebo ODF) to 2.21 ± 0.54 MPa (p ≤ 0.03). All ODF disintegrated in about 1 min, and the t_80% was lower than 3 min. TiO₂ reduced the static and dynamic peel forces (p ≤ 0.006) favoring the ODF detachment from the primary packaging material. During the accelerated stability study, ODF were easy to handle without fracture; the drug content, impurity A, and dissolution profiles remained superimposable.

CONCLUSION

Hot-melt printing can be suitable to prepare palatable ODF loaded with bitter thermosensitive drugs.

A review on orally disintegrating films (ODFs) made from natural polymers such as pullulan, maltodextrin, starch, and others

In recent years, orally disintegrating films (ODFs) have been studied as alternative ways for drug administration. They can easily be applied into the mouth and quickly disintegrate, releasing the drug with no need of water ingestion and enabling absorption through the oral mucosa. The ODFs matrices are typically composed of hydrophilic polymers, in which the natural polymers are highlighted since they are polymers extracted from natural sources, non-toxic, biocompatible, biodegradable, and have favorable properties for this application. Besides that, natural polymers such as polysaccharides and proteins can be applied either alone or blended with other synthetic, semi-synthetic, or natural polymers to achieve better mechanical and mucoadhesive properties and fast disintegration. In this review, we analyzed ODFs developed using natural polymers or blends involving natural polymers, such as maltodextrin, pullulan, starch, gelatin, collagen, alginate, chitosan, pectin, and others, to overview the recent publications and discuss how natural polymers can influence ODFs properties.

Mechanical characteristics of orally disintegrating films: Comparison of folding endurance and tensile properties

The tensile test is the most widely used method for testing the mechanical characteristics of orally disintegrating films (ODFs). The other available test is the folding endurance (FE) test, which is more suitable for clarifying the actual strength during the manufacturing and dosing. However, the FE test is performed manually, and the FE number it generates has not been adequately analyzed as an index. The aim of this studies were to establish an automatic method for determining the FE number, and to compare the resulting FE numbers with the tensile properties. For this purpose, a desktop-model endurance test machine was used. First, the operating conditions-i.e., the folding angle, the folding speed and the weight requirement were optimized using ODF models. Secondly, the FE of ODFs prepared from three film formers (HPMC, HPC, and PVA) and with insoluble particles (calcium carbonate), plasticizers (glycerin) and APIs (acetaminophen), was evaluated and compared with the tensile properties. Lastly, the commercial ODFs were investigated. The results showed that our automatic system could be successfully used to determine the FE characteristics of ODFs. FE was suggested to relate to not only the strength but also the elongation during the tensile test.

Controlled Drug Release by the Pore Structure in Polydimethylsiloxane Transdermal Patches

The use of polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMS) as a drug carrier in transdermal adhesive patches is limited and there is insufficient data on the polymer structure and diffusivity, especially when additives modify the matrix. PDMS films with liquid additives (10% w/w): silicone oil (SO), polyoxyethylene glycol (PEG) or propylene glycol (PG) were prepared and indomethacin (IND; 5% w/w) was incorporated as a model active substance. The microstructure of the PDMS matrix and its permeability to water was investigated and correlated to the kinetics of the in-vitro IND release from the film. Three microscopic techniques were used to characterize in detail the microstructure of PDMS films: scanning electron microscopy, fluorescent microscopy and atomic force microscopy. PDMS films with hydrophilic PEG or PG showed different two-phase structures. A two-fold increase in steady-state flux of IND and increased water transport in the presence of PEG was attributed to the pore-like channels created by this polar solvent in the PDMS matrix. This effect was not observed in the films with PG, where only discontinuous droplet-like structures were visible. All additives significantly changed the tensile parameters of the films but the effects were not very pronounced.

Patient Centric Pharmaceutical Drug Product Design-The Impact on Medication Adherence

Medication adherence is a growing concern for public health and poor adherence to therapy has been associated with poor health outcomes and higher costs for patients. Interventions for improving adherence need to consider the characteristics of the individual therapeutic regimens according to the needs of the patients. In particular, geriatric and paediatric populations as well as dermatological patients have special needs/preferences that should be considered when designing drug products. Patient Centric Drug Product Pharmaceutical Design (PCDPD) offers the opportunity to meet the needs and preferences of patients. Packaging, orodispersible formulations, fixed dose combinations products, multiparticulate formulations, topical formulations and 3D printing are of particular relevance in a PCDPD process. These will be addressed in this review as well as their impact on medication adherence.

The Effect of Nanofillers on the Functional Properties of Biopolymer-based Films: A Review

Waste from non-degradable plastics is becoming an increasingly serious problem. Therefore, more and more research focuses on the development of materials with biodegradable properties. Bio-polymers are excellent raw materials for the production of such materials. Bio-based biopolymer films reinforced with nanostructures have become an interesting area of research. Nanocomposite films are a group of materials that mainly consist of bio-based natural (e.g., chitosan, starch) and synthetic (e.g., poly(lactic acid)) polymers and nanofillers (clay, organic, inorganic, or carbon nanostructures), with different properties. The interaction between environmentally friendly biopolymers and nanofillers leads to the improved functionality of nanocomposite materials. Depending on the properties of nanofillers, new or improved properties of nanocomposites can be obtained such as: barrier properties, improved mechanical strength, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties or thermal stability. This review compiles information about biopolymers used as the matrix for the films with nanofillers as the active agents. Particular emphasis has been placed on the influence of nanofillers on functional properties of biopolymer films and their possible use within the food industry and food packaging systems. The possible applications of those nanocomposite films within other industries (medicine, drug and chemical industry, tissue engineering) is also briefly summarized.

A new melatonin oral delivery platform based on orodispersible films containing solid lipid microparticles

An innovative delivery system for melatonin, based on the incorporation of solid lipid microparticles in orodispersible films (ODFs) made of maltodextrin, was designed and developed. Lipid microparticles at two different melatonin concentrations (10 and 20% w/w) were produced by the spray congealing technology using two different lipid carrier (tristearin and hydrogenated castor oil) and characterized in terms of size, solid state, drug loading and drug release pattern. Tristearin microparticles were discarded due to a polymorphic modification of the carrier. The incorporation of hydrogenated castor oil microparticles in ODFs by using the casting method did not alter significantly the shape and dimension of the microparticles and the mechanical properties (elasticity and strength) of the films, which remained acceptable for manufacturing and handling. The in vitro release studies performed in saliva, gastric and intestinal simulated media on ODFs containing melatonin loaded in hydrogenated castor oil microparticles revealed the possibility to combine with an immediate release of the drug and a sustained release over at least 5 h period. In conclusion, the proposed drug delivery system maintains the advantages of ODFs, i.e. the suitability to be swallowed without water, and permits the tuning of drug release according to the clinical needs by modulating the ratio of free and microencapsulated drug in the ODF.

Preparation and characterization of nanocomposite films based on gum arabic, maltodextrin and polyethylene glycol reinforced with turmeric nanofiber isolated from turmeric spent

Turmeric nanofibers (TNF) were used as reinforcement in the gum arabic (GA), maltodextrin (MDX) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) matrices to enhance the physicochemical properties. The TNF were prepared from turmeric spent by acid hydrolysis accompanied by high pressure homogenization. The thermal and mechanical properties, structure morphology and antimicrobial activities of the prepared nanocomposites were investigated. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) data indicate that the addition of TNF significantly increased the onset temperature (T_o), peak temperature (T_p) and conclusion temperature (T_c) of the melting peaks of nanocomposites, but considerably decreased the enthalpy change values. The tensile properties showed that the addition of TNF enhanced mechanical properties due to the formation of networks within the GA, MDX and PEG. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images revealed the films of GA-TNF and MDX-TNF show smooth, homogenous surface due to intermolecular hydrogen bonding, and the film of PEG-TNF shows good dispersion of TNF with PEG matrix with rough surface because of strong interfacial adhesion between TNF and PEG and strong hydrogen bonding, which are further confirmed by the FT-IR spectroscopy. XRD results exhibited the disappearances of peaks of TNF indicating the reinforcement of TNF in the prepared nanocomposite matrices. The antibacterial tests show the prepared nanocomposites exhibited excellent antibacterial performance against Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhimurium.

Development of Orodispersible Films Containing Benzydamine Hydrochloride Using a Modified Solvent Casting Method

The aim of this study was to develop benzydamine hydrochloride-loaded orodispersible films using the modification of a solvent casting method. An innovative approach was developed when the drying process of a small-scale production was used based on a heated inert base for casting the film. During this process, two types of film-forming maltodextrins for rapid drug delivery were used. They were plasticized with two different polyols (xylitol and sorbitol). Superdisintegrant Kollidon® CL-F was tested as an excipient that can induce faster disintegration of the prepared films. The influence of the formulation parameters (dextrose equivalent of film-forming maltodextrins, a type of plasticizer, and the presence of superdisintegrant) on the disintegration time, mechanical properties, and moisture content of films was statistically evaluated using a multivariate data analysis. Orodispersible films containing maltodextrin with lower dextrose equivalent value showed better mechanical properties (tensile strength ranged from 886.6 ± 30.2 to 1484.2 ± 226.9 N cm^-2), lower moisture content (0.5 ± 0.0 to 1.2 ± 0.2%), and shorter disintegration time (17.6 ± 2.9 to 27.8 ± 2.8 s). Films plasticized with xylitol showed shorter disintegration time (17.6 ± 2.9 to 29.2 ± 3.8 s) than films containing sorbitol (23.8 ± 2.9 to 31.7 ± 3.9 s). With the addition of superdisintegrant Kollidon® CL-F, a significant influence on disintegration time was not observed. The modified solvent casting method shows great promise in a small-scale laboratory production of orodispersible films, e.g., in a pharmacy lab.

Formulation, Characterization, and Optimization of Captopril Fast-Dissolving Oral Films

This work aimed to using optimization study to formulate a patient-friendly captopril fast-dissolving oral film with satisfactory disintegration time. Films were made with pullulan and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) by using the solvent-casting method. Cellulose nanofiber (CNF) was used as a compatibilizer and glycerine was used as a plasticizer. In order to find an optimum formulation, a response surface methodology and a central composite design were employed. The concentration percentages of pullulan and glycerine were considered to be the design factors. Disintegration time, tensile strength, percent elongation at break, and folding endurance were considered to be the responses. The results showed that CNF improved the compatibility and tensile strength of the pullulan and HPMC blend. Also, the rigid nature of CNF reduced the film elongation but the addition of glycerine improved its flexibility. All formulations showed an acceptable uniformity content and dissolution rate. Complete dissolution for all formulations occurred within 2 min. Films with 26% pullulan, 74% HPMC, 1% CNF, and 5% glycerine were reported to be optimum formulations for captopril fast-dissolving oral films, with 95% confidence levels. The in vivo comparison of optimized formulation with a conventional captopril sublingual tablet exhibited significant increase in AUC (~ 62%) and C_max (~ 52%) and a major decrease in T_max (~ 33%). The overall results showed that the captopril FDF is a promising candidate for enhanced in vivo orotransmucosal absorption.

Control of Drug Dissolution Rate from Film Dosage Forms Containing Valsartan

Film dosage forms (FDs) containing valsartan (VST), a popular antihypertensive drug, were prepared using a casting method with sodium alginate and other polysaccharides as the film base. Drug dissolution profiles of the FDs were investigated in limited medium. The FDs were 170–200 μm thick and were easy to handle. All FDs immediately swelled and disintegrated in the medium. About 23% of the VST incorporated into the FD prepared with 1.5% sodium alginate dissolved at 5 min. The initial dissolution rate of VST increased upon the addition of chitosan to the film base; this effect was not observed in the case of chitin. On the other hand, the rate apparently decreased upon modification with alginic acid. In addition, the solubility of VST in the dissolution medium was changed by the addition of chitosan or alginic acid. FDs prepared with polysaccharides are useful for simplifying the administration of drugs to patients, and the drug dissolution rate from FDs can be controlled by modification.