Development of mucoadhesive films for anesthetic release in the buccal cavity

Author(s)

Renê Oliveira do Couto

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Ribeirão Preto.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto (PCARP/BC)
• Defense date: 2015-03-30

Examining board members

Osvaldo de Freitas; Michelle Franz Montan Braga Leite; Mônica Freiman de Souza Ramos; Ricardo Stefani

• Advisor: Osvaldo de Freitas

Abstract

Local anesthesia typically precedes the majority of dental procedures. However, due to be performed using an invasive process (injection), often it scares the patient out from the dentist office. Accordingly, besides its innovative character, the replacement of the painful injection by a noninvasive process might bring several advantages to the dentistry field. It might enable the improvement of routinely and surgical procedures as a function of cost saving, patient compliance, ease of application and lowering the risk of contamination and intoxication. In this pursuit, we developed hydrophilic polymeric films comprised by one or three layers, comprised by the mucoadhesive polymer HPMC K100 LV, glycerol or PEG 400 as plasticizers, and containing the local anesthetic drugs prilocaine (PCL) and lidocaine (LCL) hydrochloride in different proportions. The films showed suitable flexibility and plasticity, besides uniformities of mass and content. Both the total mass of drugs in the films (11 - 55 mg/0.64 cm2), and their relative contribution in the mixtures (0 - 100% w.w-1) have modulated their profiles and kinetics of both delivery and permeation, as well as their amount retained in the porcine esophageal epithelium. Lower drug loadings lead to an increase on the permeability coefficient of LCL. The film containing the drugs blended on a 1:1 (PCL:LCL) proportion has presented the most acceptable cost/benefit ratio. Hence, it was chosen for further investigations. Increasing the total amount of drug in the film from 12.5 to 25 mg significantly raised their force and work of mucoadhesion. On the other hand, it have decreased their tensile strength and elastic modulus. The films presented suitable mechanical e mucoadhesive properties for our purposes. Adding the mucoadhesive (comprised by HPMC K100 LV and polycarbophil at 3:1 w.w-1 and PEG400 as plasticizer) and occlusive (Eudragit® S100 and triethyl citrate as plasticizer) layers on the delivery layer has significantly decreased the amount of drug released, permeated and retained on the epithelium from the films. Thereby, both composition and architecture of the patches must be refined in order to improve the hydration of the delivery layer. For the first time it was presented the efficiency of iontophoresis (1 mA.cm-2) on the permeation enhancement of these drug in association from polymeric films. To reach the replacement of infiltrative anesthesia (2% solution, equivalent to 36 mg of drug), the amount of drug permeated from the most promising film (12.5 mg of PCL:LCL 1:1, 3% w.w-1 HPMC K100LV and 30% PEG400 as a function of the mass of mucoadhesive polymer) must be improved in at least 30 folds. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 12/06167-1 - Development of mucoadhesive films for anesthetic release on the buccal cavity
• Grantee: Renê Oliveira Do Couto
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate