Design and Optimization of 3D-Printed Tablets Containing Mucuna Extracts for Erectile Dysfunction Management: A...

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Technology
• Drug Delivery Systems
• 3D Printing in Medicine

Background:

• Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a condition affecting sexual activity, with Mucuna (M. pruriens) extract showing therapeutic potential due to its levodopa content.
• Formulating Mucuna extract into conventional tablets is challenging due to its inherent semisolid nature.
• Novel drug delivery systems are needed to overcome formulation challenges and enhance therapeutic efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop sustained-release tablets of Mucuna extract using semisolid extrusion 3D printing.
• To investigate the influence of formulation parameters on printability and drug release characteristics.
• To optimize the 3D printing process for reliable and consistent tablet production.

Main Methods:

• Semisolid extrusion 3D printing was employed to fabricate tablets containing Mucuna extract.
• Eudragit RS PO and poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were used as sustained-release polymers for tablet matrices.
• Design of Experiments (DoE) was utilized for screening printability factors and optimizing levodopa release and consistency.

Main Results:

• Printability was significantly influenced by the polymeric solid percentage content (PSPC) and the Eudragit-PVA ratio.
• All tested formulations demonstrated successful printability.
• An optimized formulation with 58.8% PSPC and an Eudragit-PVA ratio of 2.87:1 achieved targeted levodopa release and consistency.

Conclusions:

• Semisolid extrusion 3D printing is a feasible technique for producing 3D-printed tablets with Mucuna extract.
• The DoE approach effectively guided the optimization of the 3D printing process.
• This method enables the reliable manufacturing of tablets with consistent active ingredient content and desired release profiles for ED treatment.