FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF ORAL FAST DISSOLVING FILMS OF RHODIOLA ROSEA AND L – THEANINE FOR DEPRESSION MANAGEMENT

The present study aimed to develop and evaluate oral fast dissolving films (OFDFs) containing Rhodiola rosea and L-theanine for improved patient compliance and rapid drug release in depression management. Oral fast dissolving films were prepared by the solvent casting method using Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) as a film-forming polymer and glycerine as a plasticizer. Different formulation batches were prepared by varying the concentrations of polymer and plasticizer to obtain optimized oral fast dissolving films. The prepared formulations were evaluated for thickness, folding endurance, transparency, surface pH, swelling index, moisture absorption, moisture loss, content uniformity, disintegration time and in vitro drug release. The prepared films exhibited satisfactory physicochemical and mechanical characteristics. Among all formulations, batch F5 demonstrated the most desirable performance with a thickness of 0.06 mm, folding endurance of 230, surface pH of 6.5 and disintegration time of 17 seconds. The optimized formulation also showed a swelling index of 65.00%, moisture absorption of 5.00%, moisture loss of 2.50% and drug content uniformity of 99.0%. In vitro dissolution studies revealed approximately 98% drug release within 15 minutes, indicating rapid drug release behavior. The findings of the study suggest that oral fast dissolving films containing Rhodiola rosea and L-theanine may serve as a promising and patient-friendly drug delivery system for the management of depression and stress-related conditions. The optimized formulation demonstrated rapid disintegration, satisfactory stability and enhanced drug release characteristics, supporting its potential application in fast oral delivery systems.