Volume 4, Issue 2, September – October 2010; Article 012 ISSN 0976 – 044X

CHEWING GUM: A FRIENDLY ORAL MUCOSAL SYSTEM

Anand S. Surana* Department of Pharmacology, Columbia Institute of Pharmacy, Tekari, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India *Email: anand_surana2325@ rediffmail.com

ABSTRACT In recent years scientific and technological advancements have been made in the research and development of oral drug delivery system. The reasons that the oral route achieved such popularity may be in part attributed to its ease of administration. gum is one of the very popular oral products. Chewing gum is a combination of a water-insoluble phase, known as (insoluble gum base ), elastomers, emulsifiers, fillers, , antioxidants, softeners, sweeteners, colourings, flavoring agents, and in case of medical chewing gum, active substances. It offers various advantages over conventional drug delivery system. The manufacturing process of chewing gum takes from 5-15 min, but longer mixing time may be depending on the texture and function of gum base used. An In-vitro apparatus was specially designed and constructed for release testing of medicated chewing gums. The absorption of active substances through the buccal mucosa can be examined by both In-vitro and In-vivo methods. It was concluded that Chewing gum is an excellent drug delivery system for self-medication as it is convenient and can be administered discreetly without water. Keywords: Chewing gum, gum base, In-vitro apparatus, In-vitro testing.

INTRODUCTION Advantages of Chewing gum over Conventional Drug Delivery System: 1, 2, 9 It is well known fact that the right drug delivery system is critical to the success of a pharmaceutical product. A 1. Fast/rapid onset of action novel drug delivery system creates additional patient 2. High bioavailability benefits that will add new competitive advantages for a 3. Pleasant taste drug and thus increase revenue. Oral route is the most 4. Easy for administration without water promotes preferred route amongst the patient and clinicians due to higher patient compliance various advantages it offers. One of the reasons that the 5. Ready for use oral route achieved such popularity may be in part 6. High acceptance by children and for patients attributed to its ease of administration.1 who find swallowing tablets difficult are obvious 7. Fewer side effects Chewable dosage forms such as soft pills, tablets, gums 8. Systemic effect and most recently, chewy squares. Chewing gum as drug 9. Local effect delivery system holds tremendous potential not only in 10. Effect on dry mouth () cessation and also in oral health areas. 2 People 11. Product distinctiveness from a marketing of all cultures chew gum, and a variety of gums and gum- perspective. like substances have been enjoyed for thousands of years.

Medicated chewing gum is nothing but gum base Concept of formulation development: containing an active substance either in its core or A piece of chewing gum usually consists of gum core, coating. The introduction and subsequent success of which may or may not be coated. The core is composed nicotine chewing gum in the 1980’s paved the way for a of an insoluble gum base resin, elastomers, emulsifiers, more general acceptance of chewing gum as a drug fillers, waxes, antioxidants and softeners, sweeteners, delivery system. 2 Chewing gum is one of the very popular flavoring agents, and in case of medical chewing gum, confectionery products. Generally, chewing gum is a active substances. The water content of chewing gum is combination of a water-insoluble phase, known as gum very low and no preservative is needed. As many active base, and some other ingredients. These include substances are lipophillic, they will adhere to the gum powdered whose amount and grain size determine base and may therefore be released slowly and the brittleness of the resulting gum, corn and/or incompletely. The rate and extent of the drug release can glucose which serve as humectants and coat the sugar be increased by the addition of buffering agents or particles to stabilize their and keep the gum solubilizing agents and coating/encapsulating the active flexible, various softeners, food colourings, preservatives, substances. In contrast, hydrophilic active substances are flavourings etc.2-8 rapidly released and it may therefore be necessary to slow down the release rate by encapsulating the active substances or by increasing the amount of gum base. The

water content of gum base is very low and the gum binds lipophillic substances very firmly. In order to obtain the

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Volume 4, Issue 2, September – October 2010; Article 012 ISSN 0976 – 044X optimal formulation it is possible to decrease the release The apparatus proved to be suitable in product control of rate, choose highly lipophilic substances and increase the commercial batches but also a useful tool in the research release rate of lipophillic substances. 9-10 and development of medicated chewing gum To succeed in the market, a chewing gum formulation formulations. 16-18 must have a pleasant taste and texture. The gum base In-vitro testing: determines the basic characteristics of the product like the texture, its softness, hardness, elasticity, The absorption of active substances through the buccal crumbleness, stickiness, mouthfeel etc. It also determines mucosa can be examined by both in vitro and in vivo the release profile of active ingredients and flavors. methods. The most common method utilizes using chamber where excised buccal mucosa (either from Formulation: human or animal) is placed as a barrier between two Chewing gum consists basically of a neutral and tasteless chambers. The transport of active substances across the masticatory gum base (15-40%) and several non- mucosa is measured by withdrawal of samples from each masticatory ingredients such as fillers, softeners, chamber. Porcine oral cavity is recommended, as it is sweetening agents, flavouring agents and texture morphologically similar to human oral cavity. 16 regulating agents.10-14 The main components of medicated Likewise, a human TR146 cell culture model has proven a chewing gum are shown in Table 1. In addition to above good in-vitro model for investigating permeability, ingredients various additives are also used to improve permeability mechanisms, effects of chemical enhancers, properties of chewing gum, like , elastomers, and toxic effects. 19 lipids (soyabil), emulsifiers (lecithin), softeners (partially hydrogenated fatty acids esters, e.g., hydrogenated Applications: 9, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23 soybean oil.) and fillers, texture agents (talc), coating and 1. Dental caries: binding agents, film formers, coloring agents etc. Corn syrup keeps the gum flexible and fresh. has been a. Prevention and cure of oral disease are targets for investigated to play a significant role in dental caries. 9-16 chewing gum formulations. b. It can control the release rate of active substances Manufacturing process: 13-16 providing a prolonged local effect. A typical process of manufacturing chewing gum is as c. It also re-elevates plaque pH which lowers intensity follows. The gum base would be softened or melted and frequency of dental caries. (between 50 and 70°C) and placed in large kettles and d. Fluoride containing gums have been useful in ground thoroughly. Then mixture is purified by using a preventing dental caries in children and in adults with straining apparatus and high speed centrifuges. The xerostomia. flavorings, softeners and sweeteners, mixed with the gum e. Chlorhexidine chewing gum can be used to treat base in machines with strong rotating blades, produce a gingivitis, periodontitis, oral and pharyngeal mass with the consistency of stiff bread dough. The gum infections. mass is sent through a series of rollers, formed into a thin, f. It can also be used for inhibition of plaque growth. wide ribbon, lightly coated with sugar (to prevent g. Chlorhexidine chewing gum offers numerous sticking) and scored (cut and broken) into single sticks. flexibility in its formulation as it gives less staining of The gum is conditioned to increase shelf life. The product the teeth and is distributed evenly in the oral cavity. is packaged and readied for distribution. The entire h. The bitter taste of chlorhexidine can be masked quite procedure takes from 5-15 min, but longer mixing time well in a chewing gum formulation. may be depending on the texture and function of gum 2. Systemic therapy: base used. 1 a) Pain- chewing gum can be used in treatment of minor In-vitro Apparatus: pains, headache and muscular aches. An apparatus was specially designed and constructed for b) Smoking cessation- Chewing gum formulation release testing of medicated chewing gums. The containing nicotine and lobeline have been clinically adjustable instrumental settings such as temperature, tested as aids to smoking cessation. chewing frequency, chewing time, volume of test c) Obesity- Active substances like chromium, guaran and medium, distance between the jaws and twisting angle caffeine are proved to be efficient in treating obesity. increased the versatility of the apparatus. Selection of the Chromium is claimed to reduce craving for food due to an test medium was also an important parameter. Each improved blood-glucose balance. Caffeine and guaran sample was kneaded mechanically in separate test stimulate lipolysis and have a thermogenic effect chambers and the drug release was followed by sampling (increased energy expenditure) and reduce feeling of and HPLC analysis. Different gum formulations were hunger. tested and the obtained results demonstrated satisfactory release curves for a variety of formulations d) Other indications- Xerostomia, Allergy, Motion and active ingredients. The tested gum formulations sickness, Acidity, Cold and Cough, Diabetes, Anxiety, etc include nicotine, meclizine, dimenhydrinate and xylitol.

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Volume 4, Issue 2, September – October 2010; Article 012 ISSN 0976 – 044X are all indications for which chewing gum as drug delivery CONCLUSION system could be beneficial. Chewing gum is an excellent drug delivery system for self- Limitations of Chewing gum as Drug Delivery System: 2 medication, as it is convenient and can be administered discreetly without water. It offers several advantages Chewing gum has several disadvantages as the drug compared to chewable tablets, lozenges and other released into saliva disappears rapidly from the oral cavity related formulations. Hence in forth coming years it will because of involuntary swallowing. The concentration of become a much more common and popular drug delivery drug in the oral cavity always tends to decrease as a result system. of salivary dilution. Drug release from chewable formulations has shown to be strongly influenced by the way patient chews the formulation. Administration of REFERENCES such is restricted to short period of time 1. Chien YW, Novel Drug Delivery Systems, IInd edition, because the presence of the delivery system in the oral Revised and expanded, Marcel Dekker, New York, cavity causes disturbance in drinking, eating and 1992, 139-40. speaking. Despite these limitations, chewing gum 2. Lieberman HA, Lachman L, Schwartz JB, formulation affords extended delivery period compared nd to and fast dissolving tablets. Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms: Tablets, Vol-I, II edition, 1990; 367-415. Commercially available Chewing Gum: 3. Sook Wai Wong, Bin Yu, Philip Curran, Weibiao Product Drug Zhou, Characterising the release of flavour Nicorette Nicotine compounds from chewing gum through HS-SPME analysis and mathematical modelling. Food Nicotinell Nicotine Chemistry. 2009; 114: 852–8 NiQuitin CQ Nicotine 4. Davidson JM, Linforth RS, Hollowood TA, Taylor AJ, Fluorette Fluoride Effect of sucrose on the perceived flavour intensity Vitaflo CHX Chlorhexidine of chewing gum, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 1999; 47(10): 4336-40. Advanced+ Chlorhexidine 5. Lubbers S, Guichard E, The effects of and HEXIT Chlorhexidine pectin on flavour release from a fruit model Stay Alert Caffeine system, Food Chem. 2003; 81(2): 269-73. Travvell Dimenhydrinate 6. Matheis G, Flavourings: Production, composition,

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