"Success Depends on Your Backbone"-About the Use of Polymers as Essential Materials Forming Orodispersible Films

Abstract

Polymers constitute a group of materials having a wide-ranging impact on modern pharmaceutical technology. Polymeric components provide the foundation for the advancement of novel drug delivery platforms, inter alia orodispersible films. Orodispersible films are thin, polymeric scraps intended to dissolve quickly when put on the tongue, allowing them to be easily swallowed without the necessity of drinking water, thus eliminating the risk of choking, which is of great importance in the case of pediatric and geriatric patients. Polymers are essential excipients in designing orodispersible films, as they constitute the backbone of these drug dosage form. The type of polymer is of significant importance in obtaining the formulation of the desired quality. The polymers employed to produce orodispersible films must meet particular requirements due to their oral administration and have to provide adequate surface texture, film thickness, mechanical attributes, tensile and folding strength as well as relevant disintegration time and drug release to obtain the final product characterized by optimal pharmaceutical features. A variety of natural and synthetic polymers currently utilized in manufacturing of orodispersible films might be used alone or in a blend. The goal of the present manuscript was to present a review about polymers utilized in designing oral-dissolving films.

Keywords: film-forming polymers; orodispersible films; pharmaceutical excipients; polymeric materials.

Figure 1

Schematic illustration of cellulose structure.

Figure 2

SEM picture of HPMC (Pharmacoat 606) powder under magnification (a) 100×, (b) 1000× and ODFs’ piece made of HPMC (Pharmacoat 606) placebo under magnification, (c) 5000× and with incorporated drug under magnification, (d) 5000× (photographs of the authors made with Inspect™S50, FEI Company, Hillsboro, OR, USA).

Figure 3

Schematic illustration of starch structure.

Figure 4

SEM illustration of pregelatinized pea starch (Lycoat RS 720) under magnification: (a) 100×, (b) 1000×, (c,d) 5000× (photographs of the authors made with Inspect™S50, FEI Company, Hillsboro, OR, USA).

Figure 4

SEM illustration of pregelatinized pea starch (Lycoat RS 720) under magnification: (a) 100×, (b) 1000×, (c,d) 5000× (photographs of the authors made with Inspect™S50, FEI Company, Hillsboro, OR, USA).

Figure 5

SEM picture of pregelatinized maize starch (StarCap 1500) under magnification: (a)100×, (b) 1000×, (c) 5000× (photographs of the authors made with Inspect™S50, FEI Company, Hillsboro, OR, USA).

Figure 6

Schematic illustration of maltodextrin structure.

Figure 7

Schematic illustration of pullulan structure.

Figure 8

Schematic illustration of (a) sodium alginate, (b) chitosan chemical structure.

Figure 9

SEM picture of sodium alginate under magnification (a) 100×, (b) 1000×, and (c) 5000× and chitosan particles under magnification (d) 100×, (e) 1000×, and (f) 5000× (photographs of the authors made with Inspect™S50, FEI Company, Hillsboro, OR, USA).

Figure 10

Chemical structure of polyvinyl alcohol.

Figure 11

Chemical structure of (a) polyvinyl pyrrolidone and SEM picture of polyvinyl pyrrolidone 40 powder under magnification (b) 100×, (c) 1000× (photographs of the authors made with Inspect™S50, FEI Company, Hillsboro, OR, USA).

Figure 12

Chemical structure of polyethylene oxide.