FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF HERBAL ORAL FILM CONTAINING ETHANOLIC EXTRACT OF OLAX SCANDENS FOR ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY AGAINST ORAL PATHOGENS

The present study was aimed at the formulation and evaluation of herbal oral film containing ethanolic extract of Olax scandens for antimicrobial activity against selected oral pathogens. The ethanolic extract of the plant was prepared and subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening and total flavonoid content estimation. The extract showed the presence of flavonoids, phenolic compounds, proteins, carbohydrates, saponins, and diterpenes. The total flavonoid content of the ethanolic extract was found to be 0.82 mg/100 mg. Herbal oral films were prepared by solvent casting method using HPMC and Carbopol as film-forming polymers along with citric acid, glycerin, and PEG-600. The formulated oral film was evaluated for physicochemical properties including appearance, thickness, weight variation, folding endurance, and disintegration time. The prepared formulation showed translucent appearance, satisfactory flexibility, and rapid disintegration within 15±2 seconds. Antimicrobial activity of the herbal oral film was evaluated against Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans using agar diffusion method. The formulation exhibited concentration-dependent antimicrobial activity with maximum zones of inhibition of 15±0.74 mm against Streptococcus mutans and 13±0.66 mm against Candida albicans at 100 mg/mL concentration. The findings of the study suggest that herbal oral films containing ethanolic extract of Olax scandens possess promising antimicrobial potential and may serve as a suitable natural alternative for the management of oral microbial infections.