Hydrocortisone-Loaded Polyvinyl Alcohol-Based Films for Buccal Delivery in the Treatment of Oral Aphthous Ulcers Oral Aftöz Ülserlerinin Tedavisinde Bukkal Uygulama İçin Hidrokortizon Yüklü Polivinil Alkol Bazlı Filmler

Akyüz B., Akyüz B., SAAR S., TUĞCU DEMİRÖZ F. N.

Fabad Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, cilt.50, sa.3, ss.597-608, 2025 (Scopus, TRDizin)

Özet

Oral aphthous ulcers are recurrent, painful lesions of the oral mucosa that adversely affect patients’ quality of life. Buccal films are crucial to enhance drug retention, achieve sustained therapeutic effect, and ultimately improve clinical outcomes in patients suffering from oral aphthous ulcers. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based buccal film formulations loaded with hydrocortisone (HC) for the local treatment of oral aphthous ulcers. Buccal films were prepared using the solvent casting method. The film formulations were characterized in terms of film thickness, moisture content, and contact angle. Mechanical properties were evaluated by determining tensile strength and elongation at break using a texture analyzer. Thermal behavior was assessed via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), while chemical interactions were examined using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Mucoadhesive performance was tested ex vivo using cow buccal mucosa, and in vitro drug release studies were conducted using Franz diffusion cells with phosphate buffer (pH 6.8) as the receptor medium. The PVA-based formulation exhibited suitable mechanical strength and high elongation at break. Ex vivo mucoadhesion studies showed that the films demonstrated adequate mucoadhesive properties in cow buccal tissue. In vitro release studies demonstrated a sustained release profile of HC over 8 hours. The findings indicate that PVA-based buccal films are promising candidates for effective localized therapy of oral aphthous ulcers and enhanced patient compliance.