Development and mechanical characterization of eugenol–cetalkonium chloride sustained release mucoadhesive oral film

The aim of this study was to develop and characterize sustained release mucoadhesive films containing eugenol and cetalkonium chloride (HEC) for oral applications. A solvent casting method was used with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose as a film‐forming polymer. Physical and mechanical characterization, mucoadhesion, content uniformity, dissolution, and drug permeation were studied on blank film (HB), film containing eugenol (HE), film containing cetalkonium chloride (HC), and films containing eugenol and cetalkonium chloride (HEC) of different casting weight. The tensile strength, viscosity, and pH of HEC films were found to be significantly lower than those of HB films. HEC films with 30 g of casting weight were thicker than HEC films with 25 g of casting weight and drugs were less uniformly distributed in them. It was observed that 30 g casting weight was preferred for film preparation because of higher drug flux and more sustainable drug availability after a period of dissolution. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:3200–3209, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers