ABSTRACT
Citalopram is an antidepressant used for treating major depressive disorder. In the current work Citalopram HBr is formulated as mouth dissolving film with enhanced drug dissolution. The Central Composite Design (CCD), employed to examine the effects of amount of HPMC E50 (A), amount of maltodextrin (B) and amount of glycerol (C) on response variables tensile strength, disintegration time and cumulative % drug release. 27 formulations prepared according to CCD and evaluated for physicochemical parameters and in vitro dissolution studies. Citalopram HBr mouth dissolving films formulated by employing solvent-casting method using HPMC E50, maltodextrin and glycerol, optimized for the effective dosage of superdisintegrants. The formulation CF21 with maximum tensile strength of 67.21±1.31 gm, least disintegration time of 9±1.60 sec and highest drug release of 98.41±1.81% is chosen optimal formulation with maximum content uniformity and folding endurance. It is evident from the above results that the developed formulation can be an innovative dosage form to improve the drug delivery, quick onset of action as well as improve patient compliance in the effective management of depression.