Rice starch thin films as a potential buccal delivery system: Effect of plasticiser and drug loading on drug release profile

This study focuses on investigating the impact of plasticiser and drug loading on drug release pattern of rice starch films which has not been explored to date. The obtained rice films were characterised for their physicochemical properties including swelling and dissolution study. The highest drug dissolution rate was achieved in the rice films with a low drug loading due to drug amorphicity in nature. When drug loading increases, the swelling behaviour of rice films plays a dominant role in releasing drug in the crystalline form. The role of plasticiser was indicated by the plasticiser-starch interaction where a strong interaction allows drug solubilisation more readily in the dissolution medium. It is envisaged that rice films could be tailored to achieve desired drug release pattern with different plasticiser.Graphical abstract
Source: International Journal of Pharmaceutics - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: research