Abstract

Film Dosage forms [FD] prepared using water-soluble polysaccharides swell and transform into a gelatinous substance in an aqueous medium. In this study, we prepared FDs using pectin as the film base and modified them using additives such as chitosan. We then incorporated loratadine, an anti-allergic agent, into the FDs and investigated the film disintegration and drug dissolution profiles in a limited volume of aqueous medium. The FD swelled when it came in contact with physiological saline, leading to disintegration. The film disintegration rate decreased with increasing pectin concentration. However, the drug dissolution rate was not affected by the disintegration profile. The addition of chitosan to the film base decreased the drug dissolution rate, although the disintegration rate of the FD scarcely changed. Modifying the FD by adding chitin to the film base did not influence the drug dissolution rate. When the FD was soaked in artificial gastric juice, loratadine immediately dissolved. A similar drug release profile was observed when chitosan was added to the film base solution. FDs prepared with pectin may be an attractive dosage form, particularly for patients who find it difficult to swallow conventional oral dosage forms.

Keywords: Film dosage form; Pectin; Chitosan; Loratadine; Controlled drug release