Development of the Composition and Technology of Sedative Films

Abstract

Herbal sedatives have been popular for several centuries, and the accumulated knowledge that has been passed down from generation to generation laid the foundation for the development of traditional medicine, and over time for such a science as herbal medicine. Herbal sedatives have a wide range of therapeutic effects, are well tolerated and have no serious adverse reactions, and are not addictive. According to statistical data on the incidence of the population by main classes and individual diseases for 2010-2018, the number of patients with diseases of the nervous system is growing annually, along with this, the need for sedative drugs is increasing. In this regard, the search and development of effective and safe medicines based on medicinal plant raw materials is an urgent area [1, 2]. Pharmaceutical infusions and decoctions, according to the order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation No. 751n dated October 26, 2015, have a shelf life of 2 days, which significantly limits the possibility of their use. The production of films based on aqueous extracts from medicinal plant raw materials will make it possible to obtain more stable drugs, in addition, films have a number of advantages over other dosage forms. Films containing biologically active substances of plant origin have received the unofficial name phytofilms, which are a type of transdermal therapeutic systems. Phytofilms are hydrophilic systems that swell when in contact with water (or biological fluid), absorbing it in a certain amount, which leads to the dissolution of biologically active substances. They differ from synthetic polymeric therapeutic systems in that phytofilms are made in the form of matrix transdermal therapeutic systems on carriers of natural origin (gelatin, collagen, sodium alginate, agar-agar, etc.), which makes them safer [3, 4].