Aerosil in Solid-state Buccal Film for Improved and Sustained Delivery of Valsartan: Molecular Docking Studies

To overcome low oral bioavailability and short biological half-life, improved and sustained buccal delivery of valsartan has been proposed. Valsartan film with colloidal silicon dioxide has been prepared using HPMC as mucoadhesive polymer matrix by casting and solvent evaporation method. Valsartan and Aerosil might have been interacted by hydrogen bond formation between adsorbed water and silanol of Si[O.sub.2]. In vitro drug release and ex vivo buccal permeation increased with the increase of Aerosil in the film. The formulation of valsartan to Aerosil at 1:0.02 ratio exhibited a sustained type of release and permeation of 80 and 70 %, respectively, in 8 h of study in simulated physiological fluid (pH 6.8). Molecular docking study revealed a stable configuration with favourable score of -2.15 kcal [mol.sup.-1] of the Aerosil incorporated valsartan buccal film. In conclusion, Aerosil incorporated hydrogel forming buccal film could be used for improved and sustained delivery of valsartan. Keywords Aerosil 200, sustained permeation, valsartan, buccal film