Oral fast dissolving films for co-administration of breviscapine and matrine: Formulation optimization and in vitro characterization

Oral fast dissolving films (OFDFs) are popular dosage forms for enhanced oral absorption of active ingredients without experiencing gastrointestinal interference or first-pass metabolism. The primary challenge in OFDF design is balancing drug loading capacity with film properties, particularly for poorly soluble drugs. In the present work, an OFDF formulation containing co-amorphous mixture was successfully designed for co-administration of two natural products at a drug content of 14%. Breviscapine and matrine are commonly used for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular related diseases, but their clinical application was limited by low bioavailability, short biological half-life, and instability problems. Their co-administration as a compound remedy requires a novel product too enhance drug dissolution and patient compliance. A 33 Box-Behnken design was used to generate OFDF preparations by solvent casting method. The optimized blank film formulation, comprising 57.40% HPMC E50, 14.01% PEG 400 and 5.35% L-HPC, demonstrated a rapid disintegration in 18 seconds. XRD and FTIR analysis on drug-loaded films revealed good compatibility of drugs and polymers, and amorphous state of films with co-precipitates. The films were evaluated for morphology, folding endurance, disintegration time and in vitro BRE dissolution. Drugs incorporation extended the disintegration time of blank films, yet remained under 30 seconds. The co-amorphous mixture of BRE and MAT in films exhibited a faster BRE dissolution rate compared to the physical mixture. In conclusion, a compound OFDF formulation featuring a co-amorphous mixture of BRE and MAT offers an efficient strategy for hydrophobic drug delivery at high dose.