# Extrusion-Based 3D Printing of Rutin Using Aqueous Polyethylene Oxide Gel Inks

## TL;DR

This study explores using 3D printing to create personalized drug delivery systems for flavonoids, specifically using rutin in a PEO gel ink.

## Contribution

The paper introduces a novel aqueous PEO gel ink formulation for extrusion-based 3D printing of rutin, a therapeutic flavonoid.

## Key findings

- A 12% aqueous PEO gel with 100 mg/mL rutin and 50 mg/mL Tween 80 was found to be the most feasible formulation.
- 3D-printed dosage forms showed good content uniformity and compatibility between rutin and PEO.
- The printed lattices and discs were suitable for oral administration of flavonoids.

## Abstract

Background/Objectives. Flavonoids are a vast class of phenolic substances. To date, approximately 6000 plant-origin flavonoids have been discovered, with many of them being used in drug therapy. Therapeutic flavonoids are commonly formulated to conventional “one-size-fits-all” dosage forms, such as conventional tablets or hard capsules. However, the current trends in pharmacy and medicine are centred on personalised drug therapy and drug delivery systems (DDSs). Therefore, 3D printing is an interesting technique for designing and preparing novel personalised pharmaceuticals for flavonoids. The aim of the present study was to develop aqueous polyethylene oxide (PEO) gel inks loaded with rutin for semisolid extrusion (SSE) 3D printing. Methods. Rutin (a model substance for therapeutic flavonoids), Tween 80, PEO (MW approx. 900,000), ethanol, and purified water were used in PEO gels at different proportions. The viscosity and homogeneity of the gels were determined. The rutin–PEO gels were printed with a bench-top Hyrel 3D printer into lattices and discs, and their weight and effective surface area were investigated. Results. The key SSE 3D-printing process parameters were established and verified. The results showed the compatibility of rutin as a model flavonoid and PEO as a carrier polymer. The rutin content (%) and content uniformity of the 3D-printed preparations were assayed by UV spectrophotometry and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Conclusions. The most feasible aqueous PEO gel ink formulation for SSE 3D printing contained rutin 100 mg/mL and Tween 80 50 mg/mL in a 12% aqueous PEO gel. The 3D-printed dosage forms are intended for the oral administration of flavonoids.