Dental moisturizing gel for symptomatic therapy of xerostomia: requirements and design of the study

In Russia, the prevalence of dry mouth syndrome, according to various authors, among the adult population varies from 11% to 60%, with the frequency of occurrence in the elderly being 42-53%. The analysis of data on the causes, consequences and prevalence of xerostomia allows us to conclude that there is a wide range of potential consumers of artificial saliva. The information retrieval stage of the pharmaceutical development of artificial saliva is based on an understanding of the pathophysiology of xerostomia, etiological factors and modern treatment approaches, as well as knowledge about the composition, properties and biological functions of human physiological saliva. Saliva glycoproteins, mainly mucins (MUC5B and MUC7), serve as a protective layer of the oral mucosa, provide moisture retention and cause its non-Newtonian flow. The result of the information search stage is the formation of requirements for dental moisturizing gel and the determination of the characteristics of the drug planned for development. The research stage of pharmaceutical development involves determining the candidate number of molecules and compounds that are capable of modeling the properties and functions of saliva, composing and optimizing it. The standardization stage involves the modification and validation evaluation of analysis methods in relation to the composition, the study of stability and the establishment of expiration dates, the development of a technological scheme, draft regulatory documents. Conclusion. The composition and functions of salivary gland secretions serve as a starting point for the formation of requirements and, based on them, the determination of the characteristics of a dental moisturizing gel planned for pharmaceutical development. The search for the optimal composition is carried out among combinations of mucoadhesive polymers with compounds with antimicrobial and regeneralizing properties. The data from the literature sources are analyzed and systematized into a single design scheme for the pharmaceutical development of a dental moisturizing gel for the treatment of xerostomia, which includes information retrieval, research and standardization stages. The design scheme can be used in research laboratories, as well as in educational institutions for training personnel for pharmaceutical production.