Fast-dissolving electrospun cellulose fiber-based matrices as modular oral dosage forms.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Pharmaceutical Technology
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Fast-dissolving oral dosage forms offer advantages for delivering poorly water-soluble drugs.
• Developing advanced platforms is crucial for controlled and customizable drug release.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel modular oral dosage platform using electrospun hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)/polyethylene oxide (PEO) fibers.
• To characterize and optimize the fabrication of drug-loaded HPMC/PEO fibers.
• To demonstrate the integration of these fibers into a bilayer module for enhanced drug delivery.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication and optimization of electrospun HPMC/PEO fibers using dichloromethane/ethanol and water/ethanol solvent systems.
• Loading of model compounds with varying solubility profiles into the fibers.
• Characterization using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and X-ray diffraction (XRD).
• Dissolution studies to evaluate drug release kinetics.
• Development of an integrated bilayer module by depositing drug-loaded fibers onto a non-drug-loaded HPMC film.

Main Results:

• Successful fabrication of drug-loaded HPMC/PEO fibers exhibiting amorphization of the model compounds.
• Characterization confirmed bead-free fiber morphology and reduced crystallinity.
• Dissolution studies showed rapid disintegration and efficient drug release from the electrospun fibers.
• The integrated bilayer module maintained desirable fibrous layer properties and fast dissolution.

Conclusions:

• Drug-loaded electrospun HPMC/PEO fibers demonstrate significant potential as an advanced drug delivery system.
• This platform enables controlled and customizable drug delivery through modular oral dosage forms.
• The findings support the development of next-generation oral drug delivery technologies.