Rapid-Disintegrating Strip Berbasis Matriks Gelatin-Kurkumin-Polifenol Delima: Karakterisasi Fisik dan Potensi Penghantaran Transmukosa untuk Modulasi Inflamasi Kardiopulmoner

karakterisasi fisik dan potensi penghantaran transmukosa

Abstract

Cardiopulmonary inflammation is a multifactorial condition with high global morbidity and mortality, simultaneously involving inflammatory mediators, oxidative stress, and endothelial dysfunction. Curcumin and pomegranate polyphenols (punicalagin) possess multitarget therapeutic potential through modulation of the NF-κB pathway and antioxidant activity; however, their extremely low oral bioavailability, resulting from
first-pass metabolism and enzymatic degradation, substantially limits their clinical effectiveness. This study aimed to develop and characterize a rapid-disintegrating transmucosal bioactive strip based on a gelatin-glycerol matrix incorporating a combination of curcumin and pomegranate polyphenols as a transmucosal
delivery platform for the modulation of cardiopulmonary inflammation. The study employed a descriptive-experimental laboratory-based design combined with a systematic literature review. The formulation was developed from a gelatin matrix (12 g), glycerol (3.6 g), honey (4 g), pure pomegranate juice (20–30 mL), and an ethanolic curcumin concentrate (equivalent to 600 mg curcumin), processed at 40–50°C and dried in a vacuum oven until the moisture content was <10%. Characterization parameters included mass, thickness, surface morphology, elasticity (folding endurance), surface pH, disintegration time, hydration behavior, residual moisture content, and organoleptic properties. The resulting strips had an average mass of ±300 mg,
a thickness of 0.25–1.00 mm, a homogeneous surface morphology free of defects, optimal elasticity (folding endurance of 150–200 folds), a surface pH of 5.2–5.8, and a disintegration time of ≤60 seconds via a hydration–swelling–surface erosion mechanism. Residual moisture content remained stable below 10% without syneresis during short-term storage. The developed rapiddisintegrating gelatin bioactive strip platform meets the physical and functional parameters required of a transmucosal dosage form and has the potential to overcome the pharmacokinetic limitations of polyphenols by circumventing first-pass metabolism. Nevertheless, further experimental validation of biological activity (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and transmucosal permeation assays) as well as subsequent clinical trials are still needed to confirm therapeutic efficacy