BEYOND PILLS: INNOVATING NUTRACEUTICALS WITH ORAL THIN FLIMS
Integrating the terms "nutrition" and "pharmaceutical," "nutraceuticals" are materials that have been enhanced with components that promote health, such as carotenoids, polyphenols, phytosterols, bioactive peptides, vitamins, and minerals. These substances have anti-aging, anti-cancer, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties in addition to providing essential nutrition. Nutraceuticals have excellent safety profiles and few side effects, but the path from laboratory to market is hampered by a number of issues, including poor aqueous solubility, low permeability, gastrointestinal tract degradation, chemical instability during processing and storage, and sensitivity to pH and enzymatic changes. These difficulties have a substantial impact on the bioavailability, therapeutic efficiency, and functionality of nutraceuticals, frequently leading to little effects even at greater dosages.
Researchers have resorted to patient-centered, innovative delivery technologies such as oral thin films (OTFs) to address these issues. Because OTFs have a quick release, nutraceuticals can circumvent first-pass hepatic metabolism and absorb via the oral mucosa and straight into the bloodstream. This guarantees precise dosage and offers a quick start of action. Compared to traditional dosage forms, these formulations have several advantages, such as simplicity of administration, high consumer acceptance, convenience, and improved storage and transportation. Pediatric, elderly, bedridden, and emetic patients as well as those suffering from dysphagia, oral cancer, mucositis brought on by chemotherapy, and Parkinson's disease can all benefit from them. Thin films combine the stability of solids with the bioavailability of liquids, eliminating the need for mastication or water during intake, in contrast to typical solid dosage forms.
Even with the advancements, further study is needed to optimize thin films for the delivery of nutraceuticals. Food science has gained new insights due to the creation of these films, which have their roots in pharmaceutical research and improve bioavailability and quick start of action. Researchers are now investigating the use of this technology to deliver a variety of nutraceuticals, such as herbal extracts, bioactive compounds, vitamins, minerals, and proteins/peptides. A number of medications have previously been commercialized as oral film formulations. However, comprehensive clinical trials are required due to the absence of established criteria for thin film fabrication, characterization, and quality control. It is imperative that these production and regulatory obstacles be resolved in order to facilitate the widespread adoption of oral films and usher in a new age of health-promoting products.
Thin film technology has become a flexible delivery system for a range of nutraceuticals, including proteins and/or peptides, bioactive compounds, vitamins, and micronutrients. Nutraceuticals are efficiently encapsulated by these films, increasing their bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy. They are used in the treatment of pain, allergies, hormone replacement therapy, and smoking cessation. Pharmaceutical businesses have shown a great deal of interest in thin film technology due to its quick expansion, which has resulted in a large number of patents and innovations in the industry. The need for easy-to-use and efficient dosage forms among consumers is growing, and as formulation technologies evolve, the market for nutraceutical thin films is expected to experience substantial expansion. To fully exploit the potential of these films and establish them as an indispensable component, more research and the development of standardized production and quality control procedures are required.
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https://globalnews.ca/content/6522962/what-are-nutraceuticals-and-how-do-they-work/
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