Cetylpyridinium chloride chitosan blended mucoadhesive buccal films for treatment of pediatric oral diseases

Abstract Oral diseases as gingivitis, periodontitis, aphthous ulcers and dental caries are widespread in infants and children especially in developing countries. In this study, different Cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) mucoadhesive buccal films based on chitosan (CS) blended with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), methylcellulose (MC), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) were developed and thoroughly characterized to improve the conventional treatment of oral diseases. Physicochemical characterization, surface pH, mechanical properties, mucoadhesion, swelling, in vitro release and microbiological activity were assessed. All films showed homogeneous content, thickness and acceptable pH for buccal mucosa. Films formulated from CS only showed the highest swelling index while blended CS films formulated using PVA and HEC showed the highest mucoadhesion however PVA based films showed higher tensile strength. The developed blended CS film with PVA (F11) displayed good antimicrobial activity and good kill-time against Streptococus mutans indicating that films based on CS-PVA could be a promising substitute for the treatment of oral diseases.