Adhesive tablet effective for treating canker sores in humans

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Oral Medicine
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Canker sores (aphthous ulcers) cause significant pain and discomfort.
• Current treatments offer limited efficacy and can have side effects.
• Need for effective, localized drug delivery systems for oral lesions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize a novel mucoadhesive tablet for canker sore treatment.
• To evaluate the release kinetics of active agents from the mucoadhesive tablet.
• To assess the clinical efficacy and safety of the mucoadhesive tablet in reducing pain and healing time.

Main Methods:

• Mucoadhesive tablets prepared via compression molding of polyacrylic acid, hydroxypropyl cellulose, citrus oil, and magnesium salt.
• In vitro characterization including erosion rate, drug release kinetics, and mucoadhesion using bovine gingival tissue and Instron tensiometer.
• Clinical trial involving 248 volunteers with canker sores to assess pain reduction and healing time.

Main Results:

• Tablets demonstrated good mucoadhesion to mucosal tissue with gradual erosion over 8 hours.
• Citrus oil released in a zero-order pattern; magnesium released within 2 hours.
• Both experimental and plain tablets reduced pain and healing time (p < 0.05) without adverse effects.
• Tablets loaded with active agents showed superior efficacy compared to plain tablets.

Conclusions:

• The developed mucoadhesive tablet is effective for canker sore management.
• Controlled release of natural active agents promotes pain reduction and accelerates healing.
• This formulation presents a safe and promising therapeutic approach for aphthous ulcers.