Abstract

Vrushabh Arun Chavan*, Prachi Vilasrao Alhade, Omkar Chandrakant Pawar, Miss. Jayashri S. Kasar

ABSTRACT

Oral ulcer is a painful inflammatory lesion affecting the oral mucosal membrane, causing discomfort during speaking, mastication, and swallowing. Conventional dosage forms such as gels, mouth paints, and topical ointments often suffer from poor retention, imprecise dosing, and reduced patient compliance. Mouth dissolving films have emerged as a promising drug delivery platform owing to their rapid disintegration, ease of administration, improved patient compliance, and localized therapeutic action. The present study aimed to formulate and evaluate a polyherbal mouth dissolving film containing extracts of Punica granatum leaves and curcumin for rapid treatment of oral ulcer. Polyherbal extracts were prepared by maceration and Soxhlet extraction methods. Mouth dissolving films were prepared by solvent casting technique using Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose as film-forming polymer, glycerol as plasticizer, and crospovidone as superdisintegrant. Prepared formulations were evaluated for physical appearance, thickness, weight variation, surface pH, folding endurance, moisture uptake, drug content, disintegration time, in-vitro drug release, antimicrobial activity, and stability studies. Among all formulations, batch F5 demonstrated superior physicochemical properties with thickness of 0.21 ± 0.01 mm, folding endurance of 285 ± 4, disintegration time of 21 ± 1 sec, and drug content of 98.6 ± 0.8%. In-vitro release studies revealed 97.2% release within 15 minutes. Antimicrobial studies showed significant activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans. Stability studies demonstrated no significant changes over 90 days. The developed formulation may represent an effective herbal alternative for rapid management of oral ulcer.