Development of an innovative eugenol and borax-based orodispersible film for enhanced treatment of mouth ulcers.

Orodispersible films (ODFs) have emerged as an advanced and patient-friendly delivery system due to ease of administration, improved patient compliance, quick release and taste-masking of active pharmaceutical ingredients. This research reports the preparation of the ODF containing eugenol and borax (EB-ODF) by a solvent casting technique for treating mouth ulcers. The EB-ODF consisted of vinyl pyrrolidone/vinyl acetate copolymer (Kollidon® VA64, VA64) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC-K250) as the film formers where eugenol and borax were loaded. The thickness of the EB-ODF obtained was 0.119 ± 0.001 mm and the tensile strength was 13.1 ± 1.1 N/mm (p > 0.05). The prepared films disintegrated in the oral cavity within 30 s and over 90% of the eugenol was released from the film in the first 5 min. Furthermore, the combined application of eugenol and borax, loaded in EB-ODF, displayed notable synergetic antibacterial property against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. In an in-vivo study on a rat model with chemical burn-induced oral ulcers, the EB-ODF treatment group had a 100% reduction in ulcer area (p > 0.05) after 10 days of treatment and demonstrated a 38.7% higher reduction in oral ulcer area compared to the Dingpeng Cream treatment group (p < 0.0001). The EB-ODF treatment group showed minimal oral irritation, scoring only 1 point and a 65% preference in the taste tests (p < 0.0001). In summary, EB-ODF had successfully overcome the poor palatability of commercially available formulation and provided notable potential for further ulcer treatment product development.