¹Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
²Primary Health Care Sector, Ministry of Health and Population, Cairo, Egypt Lornoxicam (LN) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory and analgesic drug of the oxicam class. As with other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, it has the same side effects of this group of drugs if they are taken orally such as gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic disorders. Besides, it binds extensively to plasma albumin (99%), has a relatively short plasma half-life (3 to 5 hrs) and undergoes first pass hepatic metabolism and gastrointestinal degradation upon oral administration. These drawbacks render LN a good candidate for local delivery via sustained release dosage forms. Therefore, LN mucoadhesive buccal films were prepared by the solvent casting method using different polymers, that is sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (Na CMC), hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (HPMC), hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), gelatin, polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) K-30. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and infrared spectroscopy (IR) studies indicated the absence of any physical or chemical interaction of the drug with any of the used polymers. The prepared films were evaluated for their weight uniformity, thickness uniformity, swelling index, surface pH, folding endurance, in vitro drug release as well as mucoadhesion force. On the basis of the results obtained, it was deduced that the best formula of LN mucoadhesive buccal films was that containing a mixture of Na CMC, HPC and PVP; since it exhibited a high bioadhesive strength, a high percentage of drug release, a good folding endurance and a high swelling index. It can be finally concluded that mucoadhesive buccal films can be one of the alternatives available for administration of LN in order to minimize its side effects and avoid the disadvantages of parenteral and oral routes of administration. Keywords : Lornoxicam; mucoadhesive buccal films; solvent casting method; bioadhesive strength