Original Articles

Development and Optimization of Chamomile Extract Pastilles for Potential Oral Ulcer Treatment

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to develop and optimize chamomile extract pastilles as a potential therapeutic option for oral ulcer treatment, focusing on masking chamomile’s bitterness, ensuring stability, and achieving controlled release of active constituents to enhance patient compliance.

Materials: Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) extract was prepared via percolation using 80% ethanol. Pastilles were formulated with gelatin, xylitol, aspartame, citric acid, and flavoring agents (eucalyptus, lemon, raspberry, cola). Physical properties (smoothness, elasticity, color), sensory acceptability (rated by 10 volunteers), quercetin content (UV-Vis spectrophotometry), and dissolution profiles (in artificial saliva, pH 6.8) were assessed. Sensory scores were analyzed using one-way ANOVA with Tukey post-hoc tests (p < 0.05).

Results: Formulations J1 and J2, incorporating citric acid, exhibited significantly higher sensory scores (p < 0.0001) than G1–G3, effectively masking bitterness. Quercetin content indicated 85–89% loading efficiency across formulations. Dissolution tests showed controlled release of chamomile extract from J2 pastilles compared to pure extract, with stable release over 60 minutes. Physical assessments confirmed smooth, cohesive pastilles with favorable elasticity.

Conclusion: Chamomile extract pastilles represent a promising formulation with potential for oral ulcer treatment, offering improved palatability and controlled release. Their natural composition and high acceptability suggest potential for pediatric and adult use, warranting further clinical trials to validate efficacy and long-term stability.

1. Légeret C, Furlano R. Oral ulcers in children- a clinical narrative overview. Ital J Pediatr. 2021;47(1):144. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13052-021-01097-2
2. Scully C, Porter S. Oral mucosal disease: recurrent aphthous stomatitis. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2008;46(3):198-206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjoms.2007.07.201
3. Natah SS, Konttinen YT, Enattah NS, Ashammakhi N, Sharkey KA, Häyrinen-Immonen R. Recurrent aphthous ulcers today: a review of the growing knowledge. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2004;33(3):221-34. https://doi.org/10.1006/ijom.2002.0446
4. Chavan M, Jain H, Diwan N, Khedkar S, Shete A, Durkar S. Recurrent aphthous stomatitis: a review. J Oral Pathol Med. 2012;41(8):577-83. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0714.2012.01134.x
5. Porter SR, Scully Cbe C. Aphthous ulcers (recurrent). BMJ Clin Evid. 2007;2007.
6. Al-Maweri SA, Alaizari N, Alharbi AA, Alotaibi SA, AlQuhal A, Almutairi BF, et al. Efficacy of curcumin for recurrent aphthous stomatitis: a systematic review. J Dermatolog Treat. 2022;33(3):1225-30. https://doi.org/10.1080/09546634.2020.1819529
7. Mehdipour M, Taghavi Zenouz A. Role of Corticosteroids in Oral Lesions. In: Magdeldin S, editor. State of the Art of Therapeutic Endocrinology. Rijeka: IntechOpen; 2012.
8. McKay DL, Blumberg JB. A review of the bioactivity and potential health benefits of chamomile tea (Matricaria recutita L.). Phytother Res. 2006;20(7):519-30. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.1900
9. Andishe Tadbir A, Pourshahidi S, Ebrahimi H, Hajipour Z, Memarzade MR, Shirazian S. The effect of Matricaria chamomilla (chamomile) extract in Orabase on minor aphthous stomatitis, a randomized clinical trial. Journal of Herbal Medicine. 2015;5(2):71-6. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hermed.2015.05.001
10. Srivastava JK, Shankar E, Gupta S. Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future. Mol Med Rep. 2010;3(6):895-901. https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2010.377
11. Zargaran A, Borhani-Haghighi A, Faridi P, Daneshamouz S, Kordafshari G, Mohagheghzadeh A. Potential effect and mechanism of action of topical chamomile (Matricaria chammomila L.) oil on migraine headache: A medical hypothesis. Med Hypotheses. 2014;83(5):566-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2014.08.023
12. Pourdeghatkar F, Motaghi M, Darbandi B, BagherSalimi A. The Effect of Chamomile Mouthwash on the Prevention of Oral Mucositis Caused by Chemotherapy in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. SSU. 2017;7(2):76-81.
13. Refaey MS, Abosalem EF, Yasser El-Basyouni R, Elsheriri SE, Elbehary SH, Fayed MAA. Exploring the therapeutic potential of medicinal plants and their active principles in dental care: A comprehensive review. Heliyon. 2024;10(18):e37641. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e37641
14. Sohail Arshad M, Zafar S, Yousef B, Alyassin Y, Ali R, AlAsiri A, et al. A review of emerging technologies enabling improved solid oral dosage form manufacturing and processing. Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews. 2021;178:113840. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addr.2021.113840
15. Lopez FL, Ernest TB, Tuleu C, Gul MO. Formulation approaches to pediatric oral drug delivery: benefits and limitations of current platforms. Expert Opin Drug Deliv. 2015;12(11):1727-40. https://doi.org/10.1517/17425247.2015.1060218
16. Rowe RC, Sheskey, P. J., & Quinn, M. E. Handbook of Pharmaceutical Excipients (6th ed.)(2009).
17. Strickley RG. Pediatric Oral Formulations: An Updated Review of Commercially Available Pediatric Oral Formulations Since 2007. J Pharm Sci. 2019;108(4):1335-65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xphs.2018.11.013
18. Sanjay Bajaj DS, Neha Sakhuja. Stability Testing of Pharmaceutical Products: ssue : 3. 129-38 p.
19. Maheswari KM, Devineni PK, Deekonda S, Shaik S, Uppala NP, Nalluri BN. Development and Evaluation of Mouth Dissolving Films of Amlodipine Besylate for Enhanced Therapeutic Efficacy. J Pharm (Cairo). 2014;2014:520949. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/520949
20. Elhadad MA, El-Negoumy E, Taalab MR, Ibrahim RS, Elsaka RO. The effect of topical chamomile in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis: A randomized clinical trial. Oral Dis. 2022;28(1):164-72. https://doi.org/10.1111/odi.13749
21. El Mihyaoui A, Esteves da Silva JCG, Charfi S, Candela Castillo ME, Lamarti A, Arnao MB. Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.): A Review of Ethnomedicinal Use, Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Uses. Life (Basel). 2022;12(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/life12040479
22. Dai YL, Li Y, Wang Q, Niu FJ, Li KW, Wang YY, et al. Chamomile: A Review of Its Traditional Uses, Chemical Constituents, Pharmacological Activities and Quality Control Studies. Molecules. 2022;28(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28010133
23. Curra M, Martins MA, Lauxen IS, Pellicioli AC, Sant'Ana Filho M, Pavesi VC, et al. Effect of topical chamomile on immunohistochemical levels of IL-1β and TNF-α in 5-fluorouracil-induced oral mucositis in hamsters. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. 2013;71(2):293-9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00280-012-2013-9
24. Beltrán O, Luna M, Valbuena Gregorio E, Valdez-Melchor R, Burruel Ibarra S, Quihui L, et al. Optimization of Carvacrol Nanoemulsion for the Incorporation in Pectin Membranes: Influence on Their Load Capacity, Microstructure and Antibacterial Properties. Mater Res. 2022;25. https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-5373-mr-2021-0534
25. Makadia HK, Siegel SJ. Poly Lactic-co-Glycolic Acid (PLGA) as Biodegradable Controlled Drug Delivery Carrier. Polymers [Internet]. 2011; 3(3):[1377-97 pp.].
Files
IssueVol 3 No 1 (2025) QRcode
SectionOriginal Articles
Keywords
Chamomile oral ulcers pastilles herbal therapeutics formulation
Rights and permissions
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
1.
Javaherchian P, Azimzadeh M, Azimzadeh F. Development and Optimization of Chamomile Extract Pastilles for Potential Oral Ulcer Treatment. ABI. 2025;3(1):30-35.