Orally disintegrating films based on gelatin and pregelatinized starch: new carriers of active compounds from acerola

This study aimed to produce orally disintegrating films (ODFs) based on pregelatinized starch and gelatin with the incorporation of acerola powder and to evaluate the effect of the macromolecule concentration on the properties of the films. No ODFs had insoluble particles, and microstructure analysis by atomic force microscopy showed that higher starch concentrations led to greater surface heterogeneity and roughness. Starch inclusion in the films enhanced the hydrophilicity of the material (producing lower contact angle values). These factors, along with higher levels of starch, probably contributed to the favorable disintegration time, as observed by the lower values from in vitro and in vivo analyses. The FTIR spectra of the ODFs demonstrate predominant presence of carbohydrates and proteins, showing good interaction between them. In addition, the antioxidant capacity results showed that, after 50 days of storage under drastic conditions (75% relative humidity and 40 °C), the ODFs retained at least 60% of their antioxidant capacity. Therefore, the ODF containing acerola powder represents a promising system for use in active compound delivery.