Preparation and evaluation of carbamazepine particles loaded in mucoadhesive film for treatment of trigeminal neuralgia

Trigeminal neuralgia is a common form of craniofacial neuropathic pain that causes one of the most severe pain episodes a person can endure. Carbamazepine is recommended as first-line treatments to control pain in patients with trigeminal neuralgia. Oral administration of carbamazepine requires higher doses and as a result, higher risk of side effects due to the metabolic processes. Local mucosal drug delivery might be a proper alternative in order to localize the treatment and reduce the side effects.The goal of this study was to develop an oral film containing particles of carbamazepine for treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. Particles were prepared by solvent evaporation method using chloroform and dichloromethane as organic solvents and ethyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose as coating polymers. The optimized particle contained equal weight ratios of polymers and was prepared using chloroform. The particles released about ۷۰% of carbamazepine content within an hour. Optimized particles were loaded in an oral film containing ۵% acacia, ۱۰% gelatin, ۱% glycerol and ۱۰% PEG ۴۰۰.Satisfactory results were obtained from evaluation of physical characteristics of carbamazepine loaded film including: peak load equal to ۱۵۰۶ mN, average thickness ۰.۴۹± ۰.۰۰۳ mm and average weight ۱.۵۳± ۰.۰۰۵ g. Film was completely dissolved in water. Release of the pure and coated drug from the optimized film was about ۴۲% and ۸۰%, respectively after ۲ hours. These results indicate that film containing particles can be a potentially successful system for delivery of carbamazepine to the oral mucosa.

کلیدواژه ها:

oral film ، Carbamazepine ، trigeminal neuralgia ، Mucoadhesive