Development of films containing anesthetics for oral application, using electrospinning technique.

• Grant number: 24/00701-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2024
• End date: April 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Pharmacy - Pharmaceutical Technology
• Principal Investigator: Osvaldo de Freitas
• Grantee: Guilherme Prado Corrêa
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (FCFRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The use of anesthesia in medical and dental procedures contributed to patient adherence to treatments and thus expanded health promotion and quality of life. Anesthetics are a class of drugs that act on the central nervous system, inhibiting the perception of pain, which brings greater comfort to the patient during procedures and surgeries. However, infiltrative anesthesia - the most commonly used resource for anesthesia - still scares many patients. A less invasive alternative, such as the film form, for the local administration of anesthesia, reduces the number of idle patients and adds confidence and comfort to treatments.Films are solid pharmaceutical forms composed of polymers, preferably bioadhesives, drugs and other adjuvants that contribute to the desired physical and physicochemical properties. Among the methods for obtaining films, monoaxial electrospinning stands out for providing highly porous films, which facilitates the penetration of liquids and possibly the rapid release of the drug. The formulation is made by incorporating the drugs into a mixture of polymers and the whole is subjected to electrospinning, with the deposition of the threads forming a homogeneous mesh, the film. The tests to quantify the content, release profile and permeation of drugs from the system will be carried out using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Physical properties will also be evaluated, including: flow rheology, bioadhesion, rupture stress, elongation and water capture. The results obtained will be statistically analyzed for their homogeneity and applicability of the results to the desired purpose.