Orally disintegrating film (ODF) for delivery of probiotics in the oral cavity — Development of a novel product for oral health

•Orally-disintegrating film (ODF) is an innovative vehicle for delivering probiotics.•ODF developed is a simple and low cost vehicle for delivering probiotics.•ODF developed is useful for everybody, including children and elderly.•The probiotics present high viability in ODF developed.

Probiotics are commonly associated to contributions to oral health as a natural defense against mouth pathogens. This study aimed to develop an orally-disintegrating film (ODF) for delivery of probiotics in mouth. The ODF formulations were composed of Lactobacillus acidophilus or Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis entrapped in a matrix composed of carboxymethyl cellulose, gelatin and starch. The distribution of microorganisms was visualized by confocal microscopy and the structure of the ODF was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The viability of microorganisms throughout the ODF production and during storage was assessed by enumerating the viable cells. A large number of both live and dead cells were observed by confocal microscopy, however, the counts showed less than 15% of loss of probiotics during the process. The probiotics showed high viability during 90 days of storage. The product developed that dissolve in the mouth and release probiotics could be a simple and innovative vehicle for the regular intake of probiotics.Industrial relevanceOrally-disintegrating film (ODF) developed and presented in this manuscript is an innovative, simple and low cost vehicle for delivering probiotics in the month. So this is easy for producing. It has high shelf life and can be stored at room temperature, without vacuum. So this is easy for distribution and commercialization. This could be used by all people, including children and elderly. So there is a great potential market for it.