Abstract
The application of hydrophilic polymers in designing and three-dimensional (3D) printing of pharmaceutical products in various dosage forms has recently been paid much attention. Use of hydrophilic polymers and syringe extrusion 3D printing technology in the fabrication of orodispersible films (ODFs) might hold great potential in rapid drug delivery, personalized medicine, and manufacturing time savings. In this study, the feasibility of 3D-printed ODFs fabrication through a syringe extrusion 3D printing technique and using five different hydrophilic polymers (e.g., hydroxypropyl methylcellulose E15, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose E50, high methoxyl pectin, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, and hydroxyethylcellulose) as film-forming polymers and printing materials has been investigated. Rheology properties and printability of printing gels and physicochemical and mechanical properties of 3D-printed ODFs were evaluated. Amongst the investigated hydrophilic polymers, sodium carboxymethylcellulose at a concentration of 5% w/v (SCMC-5) showed promising results with a good printing resolution and accurate dimensions of the 3D-printed ODFs. In addition, SCMC-5 3D-printed ODFs exhibited the fastest disintegration time within 3 s due to high wettability, roughness and porosity on the surface. However, the results of the mechanical properties study showed that SCMC-5 3D printed ODFs were rigid and brittle, thus requiring special packaging to prevent them from any damage before practical use.
Highlights
IntroductionA range of dosage forms have been designed and fabricated using syringe extrusion 3D printing, such as immediate-release tablets, local drug delivery patches, contraceptive vaginal rings, and oromucosal films (buccal films and orodispersible films) [11,12,13,14,15,16,17]
This study showed that the high consistency coefficient (K) was observed when the concentration of printing polymer increased, indicating that the printing gels became more viscous and more pseudoplasticity at higher concentrations
Our study has investigated the feasibility of using five different kinds of hydrophilic polymers as printing materials for the fabrication of 3D-printed orodispersible films (ODFs) and characterized the physicochemical and mechanical properties of the 3D-printed ODFs
Summary
A range of dosage forms have been designed and fabricated using syringe extrusion 3D printing, such as immediate-release tablets, local drug delivery patches, contraceptive vaginal rings, and oromucosal films (buccal films and orodispersible films) [11,12,13,14,15,16,17]. Orodispersible films (ODF) are one of the promising personalized dosage forms of choice for pediatric patients and geriatric patients suffering from dysphagia, severe psychological or neurological disorders [18]. This dosage form is often made from hydrophilic polymers and can be administered orally and disintegrate rapidly in the buccal cavity without requiring water, leading to rapid dissolution and fast onset of action [19].
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