Study on Lyophilised Orodispersible Tablets from Plant-Based Drinks as Bulking Agents.

Background/

Objectives

Oral administration of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) is the most commonly used route of administration. As dysphagia is a prevalent problem, the size of the swallowed dosage form could negatively influence patient adherence. Orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) are beneficial dosage forms because they disintegrate within a few seconds in the oral cavity without water. Lactose is one of the most commonly used excipients in the pharmaceutical industry; it served as the central concept of a recent publication on the formulation of milk-based ODTs despite lactose malabsorption being widespread worldwide. Consequently, the plant-based alternative market has grown exponentially and has become a prevailing food trend, with various alternatives to choose from. For this reason, the development of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-containing ODT with plant-based drinks (PBDs) was assessed for its innovative potential.

Methods

Different PBDs were investigated and compared to traditional and lactose-free milk. The liquids' viscosity, pH, and particle size were determined, and an electronic tongue was used for the sensory evaluation. The various ODTs were prepared with the freeze-drying method, and then the qualitative characteristics of the dosage form were investigated.

Results

Our different measurements show that different plant beverages differ from each other and that these differences have an impact on the technological processing. According to the HPLC-DAD measurements, all values were in the required range.

Conclusions

These measurements suggest that the soya drink is the most similar to traditional cow milk and would be the most appropriate choice among the investigated plant-based drinks to be used as a carrier system for an ibuprofen-containing ODT.