The Science of Oral Dissolvable Strips

Reviewed by Dr. Tracy Gibbs, PhD, Head of R&D · Last updated: 2026-10

A Smart Strips oral dissolvable strip dissolves on the tongue in 7 to 30 seconds, and part of each dose is absorbed through the lining of the mouth while the rest is swallowed with saliva. For the part absorbed in the mouth, first-pass metabolism in the liver is significantly reduced, and that is the reason the format exists.

This page sets out what is known about that mechanism, what the published research shows, and what it means for each key ingredient. Every figure is linked to a numbered source at the end of the page.

What happens in the first 30 seconds?

The sachet tears along its notch, the strip goes on the tongue and softens almost at once. Within 7 to 30 seconds the film is gone. What remains is a light taste and a thin layer of liquid spreading over the tongue, under it and along the cheeks.

From that moment two things happen in parallel. Part of the active ingredients is taken up through the thin lining of the mouth. The rest mixes with saliva, is swallowed and is absorbed in the gut like any other supplement.

There is no glass of water and nothing to get down whole. About 14% of older adults living at home find it hard to swallow medicines [1], and for them a format with nothing to swallow is the first benefit, before any question of absorption. More on the format itself in what oral dissolvable strips are.

How fast does a strip dissolve?

In 7 to 30 seconds on the tongue, with no water. Published research on oral films points to the same scale. In a laboratory test, pullulan-based oral films disintegrated in under 25 seconds [6]. In a clinical study with 53 healthy volunteers taking a medicine film, the authors report: “Complete dissolution in 1 min after administration was confirmed in all the volunteers” [7]. For orally disintegrating tablets, the US FDA recommends a disintegration time of approximately 30 seconds or less [8].

Swallowed forms work on a different clock. The European Pharmacopoeia allows a conventional uncoated tablet up to 15 minutes, and a film-coated tablet or a capsule up to 30 minutes, simply to disintegrate in its laboratory test [9]. By the time a capsule has opened, the strip has long been gone.

Why is absorption through the mouth different?

Because the lining of the mouth is thin, unkeratinised and permeable, and because what crosses it does not go to the liver first.

Under the tongue the lining is 100 to 200 µm thick and 8 to 12 cells deep; in the cheek it is 500 to 800 µm [10]. Permeability is highest under the tongue, then in the cheek, then on the palate [11]. A review of oral delivery describes the lining of the mouth as “4-4000 times more permeable than that of skin” [12].

Swallowing works differently. Everything absorbed from the gut passes through the liver before it reaches the rest of the body, and the liver breaks down part of many compounds on that first pass. Melatonin shows how much this can cost: swallowed tablets of 2 mg and 4 mg showed an absolute bioavailability of approximately 15% [13], and a systematic review reports a range of 9 to 33% for oral melatonin [14].

The portion of a strip absorbed through the lining of the mouth reaches the general circulation without that first pass, so for that portion first-pass metabolism is significantly reduced. The portion swallowed with saliva follows the ordinary route through the gut and liver.

What is the strip made of?

A pullulan film that carries measured amounts of active ingredients. Pullulan is a polysaccharide produced by fermenting food-grade hydrolysed starch with a non-toxin-producing strain of Aureobasidium pullulans, and it is authorised in the EU as food additive E 1204 [2]. In its 2025 re-evaluation, EFSA concluded that pullulan needs no numerical acceptable daily intake and raises no safety concern at its current uses [3]. Pullulan films are colourless, odourless and tasteless [4], so the flavour you notice comes from the formula, not from the film.

The active ingredients are distributed through the film with QuickRelease™ technology (patent-pending). A whole oral film is small and light: pharmaceutical reviews describe films of up to 500 mg in total weight [5], so every ingredient is dosed in milligrams or micrograms. Each strip is sealed in its own 8 by 5 cm sachet. The exact amount of every ingredient is listed on ingredients and doses, and production on manufacturing.

Up to 95%, up to 4x, up to 30%: the format in three figures

These three figures summarise what the oral strip offers as a format compared with a swallowed tablet: up to 95% bioavailability, up to 4x faster absorption and up to 30% higher effectiveness. They describe the format, and how much any one ingredient gains depends on the molecule. The published facts on oral delivery point in the same direction:

• Up to 4x faster absorption
• Up to 95% bioavailability
• Up to 30% higher effectiveness
• Dissolves in 7 to 30 seconds, no water

What does the research on films show?

Most published research on oral films concerns medicines, not food supplements, and it shows that the gain depends on the ingredient.

A film can match a tablet. In a study of 53 healthy men, a film of one medicine produced blood levels equivalent to the film-coated tablet, and the median time to peak was 0.75 hours for both [7]. A film of a second medicine showed the same pattern, with a median time to peak of 2.5 hours for both forms [15].

For some molecules, the mouth is a faster route. In 13 healthy men, a 1 mg melatonin spray under the tongue reached peak blood levels at 23.3 minutes on average, against 64.2 minutes for a 1.9 mg prolonged-release tablet [19]. The comparison was with a slow-release tablet, so it does not show how the spray compares with an ordinary one. A systematic review of melatonin concludes that “Oral transmucosal administration of melatonin exhibited a high plasma concentration compared to oral administration” [20].

Not every ingredient behaves this way. A caffeine spray held under the tongue did not raise blood caffeine faster than coffee or an energy drink [21]. A vitamin D spray raised blood levels as well as a capsule did, but not more [22].

The format is well studied in medicine, and the size of the gain belongs to each molecule.

Ingredient by ingredient

Melatonin (Z-z-Zen, 1 mg)

Melatonin is the clearest case for the format. Swallowed, much of it is lost before it reaches the circulation [13, 14], and transmucosal forms have shown higher blood concentrations than swallowing [20]. Z-z-Zen contains 1 mg, the amount set in the EU for the authorised claim: Melatonin contributes to the reduction of time taken to fall asleep. The beneficial effect is obtained by consuming 1 mg of melatonin close to bedtime [23]. Small amounts have been studied as well: in a controlled study in adults over 50, a dose of 0.3 mg taken 30 minutes before bedtime already had an effect on sleep [24]. The same strip carries 14 mg of saffron extract, a dose studied for sleep quality in adults [25].

Z-z-Zen · Melatonin strips vs melatonin gummies

Caffeine (FCKN FIT and FOCUS, 20 mg)

Caffeine is the opposite case. Swallowed in solution, it is absorbed quickly and essentially completely, with peak blood levels after 29.8 minutes on average and a measured absolute bioavailability of 108.3 ± 3.6% [26]. A mouth spray did not make it faster [21]. In FCKN FIT and FOCUS, caffeine is a measured 20 mg per strip that you can take anywhere without a drink. EFSA considers single doses of up to 200 mg of caffeine from all sources safe for healthy adults [27]; one strip is a tenth of that.

FCKN FIT · FOCUS · Caffeine strips vs pre-workout powder

NMN (80 mg)

NMN is taken as a daily habit: one strip, 80 mg, every day. In the EU, the EFSA Panel on Nutrition published a positive opinion on 11 May 2026 on β-NMN as a novel food, concluding that it is safe for adults at up to 300 mg a day in food supplements, excluding pregnant and breastfeeding women [28]. In the US, FDA concluded in a letter dated 29 September 2025 that NMN is not excluded from the definition of a dietary supplement [29].

NMN · NMN strips vs NMN capsules

Collagen (BEAUTÉ, 20 mg)

BEAUTÉ carries 20 mg of hydrolysed marine collagen per strip, together with hyaluronic acid, vitamins A and E and biotin. Research on collagen peptides for skin has looked at much higher intakes, from 2.5 g a day [30], so the collagen in a strip is a small daily amount, not the serving of a powder. The authorised claims in BEAUTÉ belong to its vitamins: Biotin contributes to the maintenance of normal hair. Vitamin A contributes to the maintenance of normal skin. Vitamin E contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress [23].

BEAUTÉ · Collagen strips vs collagen powder

What the format does not do

It does not make every ingredient faster. For caffeine, a route through the mouth made no difference, and a vitamin D spray matched a capsule without beating it [21, 22].

It does not send the whole dose through the lining of the mouth. Saliva is swallowed while the strip dissolves. Even a medicine film designed to stick to the cheek has about 51% of its dose absorbed through the cheek lining and the remaining 49% swallowed with saliva [31]. For supplement strips the exact proportion has not been measured, and it differs from one ingredient to another.

It does not carry grams. A whole film weighs up to 500 mg [5], so magnesium, protein, creatine or a gram of vitamin C belong in a tablet or a powder. Results also vary from person to person. That is why each Smart Strips formula is dosed for the strip, not copied from a capsule. The full comparison is in oral strips vs pills, capsules and gummies.

Behind the three figures

A film can carry a full dose

In clinical studies, oral films of several medicines delivered the same amount of active ingredient as the matching tablet, with the same median time to peak [7, 15].

For some molecules, the mouth is much faster

In medicines, nitroglycerin given under the tongue reaches peak levels in 6 to 7 minutes [16], and selegiline in a form that disintegrates in the mouth peaks in 10 to 15 minutes, against 40 to 90 minutes for a swallowed tablet at a higher dose [17].

For some molecules, the mouth avoids most of the loss

The medicine asenapine has a bioavailability of 35% when it dissolves under the tongue and under 2% when it is swallowed [18].

The lining is made for it

It is thin, unkeratinised and far more permeable than skin [10, 12].

Notes

Information on this page about the oral film format and the lining of the mouth is based on the published research listed above, most of it on medicines; data from medicines are labelled as such in the text. Ingredient amounts are per strip. Individual results vary.

smartstrips.bg: Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.

smartstrips.us: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

The science is in the format; the rest is a habit that takes seven seconds.

Explore the ten formulas

Why oral dissolvable films? Nothing to swallow, no water, one measured dose per strip.

• 7 to 30 seconds. Dissolves on the tongue, no water needed.
• Nothing to swallow. About 14% of older adults find it hard to swallow medicines.
• Ultra-Portable. Lightweight, sealed, ready anywhere.
• Precisely Dosed. No measuring, no liquids, no guesswork.

Questions about the science

Do oral strips really absorb through the mouth?

Partly. The lining under the tongue is 100 to 200 µm thick and permeable, so part of each strip is absorbed there [10]; the rest is swallowed with saliva and absorbed in the gut. The split depends on the ingredient.

Is a strip absorbed faster than a pill?

For some molecules, yes. A melatonin spray under the tongue peaked at 23.3 minutes against 64.2 minutes for a prolonged-release tablet [19]. For caffeine, a mouth spray was no faster than drinks [21].

What does bioavailability mean?

The share of an ingredient that reaches the bloodstream. It is measured with blood samples in a clinical study. For melatonin swallowed as a tablet, studies report 9 to 33% [14].

How long does a strip take to dissolve?

7 to 30 seconds on the tongue, with no water. For comparison, the US FDA recommends that orally disintegrating tablets disintegrate in approximately 30 seconds or less [8].

Why does Z-z-Zen contain 1 mg of melatonin?

Because 1 mg close to bedtime is the condition of the authorised EU claim that melatonin contributes to the reduction of time taken to fall asleep [23]. Research has also found an effect on sleep at 0.3 mg [24].

Should I drink straight after a strip?

Wait a few minutes. For a medicine taken under the tongue, water 2 minutes after the dose lowered exposure by 19% [18]. No study has set an exact wait for supplement strips.

Who reviewed this page?

Dr. Tracy Gibbs, PhD, Head of R&D at Smart Strips.

In-A-Strip Technology

No fillers, binders, or added sugars.

• Precise Dosage. Every strip delivers a measured dose, verified batch by batch
• Natural Ingredients. Plant-based, vegan, gluten-free.
• Pullulan Base. Ultra-thin, natural, and effective. Each Smart Strip is a breakthrough: the fusion of innovation, purity, and elegance.

Smart Strips™ — Instant Wellness in a Strip

Experience supplementation as it should be: fast, precise, and elevated. Each Smart Strip delivers clean, science-backed nutrients in the simplest possible form.

Sources

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2. Commission Directive 2008/84/EC laying down specific purity criteria on food additives other than colours and sweeteners, Annex I, E 1204 Pullulan. https://legislation.gov.uk/eudr/2008/84/annex/I/division/298/adopted
3. EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF). Re-evaluation of pullulan (E 1204) as a food additive and new application for its extension of use. EFSA Journal. 2025, article 9267. https://efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/9267
4. Chlebowska-Śmigiel A, Gniewosz M. Effect of pullulan coating on inhibition of chosen microorganisms’ growth. Acta Sci Pol Technol Aliment. 2009;8(3):37-46. https://www.food.actapol.net/volume8/issue/4_3_2009.pdf
5. Ferlak J, Guzenda W, Osmałek T. Orodispersible Films: Current State of the Art, Limitations, Advances and Future Perspectives. Pharmaceutics. 2023;15(2):361. DOI 10.3390/pharmaceutics15020361
6. Gupta MS, Kumar TP, Reddy D, et al. Development and Characterization of Pullulan-Based Orodispersible Films of Iron. Pharmaceutics. 2023;15(3):1027. DOI 10.3390/pharmaceutics15031027
7. Radicioni M, Castiglioni C, Giori A, Cupone I, Frangione V, Rovati S. Bioequivalence study of a new sildenafil 100 mg orodispersible film compared to the conventional film-coated 100 mg tablet administered to healthy male volunteers. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2017;11:1183-1192. DOI 10.2147/DDDT.S124034
8. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Guidance for Industry: Orally Disintegrating Tablets. December 2008. https://www.fda.gov/media/70877/download
9. European Pharmacopoeia. Monograph 0478 Tablets and monograph 0016 Capsules, disintegration test 2.9.1 (as reproduced in the British Pharmacopoeia 2010 and 2012).
10. Hua S. Advances in nanoparticulate drug delivery approaches for sublingual and buccal administration. Front Pharmacol. 2019;10:1328. DOI 10.3389/fphar.2019.01328
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14. Harpsøe NG, Andersen LPH, Gögenur I, Rosenberg J. Clinical pharmacokinetics of melatonin: a systematic review. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2015;71(8):901-909. DOI 10.1007/s00228-015-1873-4
15. Park S-I, Heo S-H, Kim G, et al. Comparison of tadalafil pharmacokinetics after administration of a new orodispersible film versus a film-coated tablet. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2018;12:935-942. DOI 10.2147/DDDT.S155040
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18. SAPHRIS (asenapine) sublingual tablets, US Prescribing Information, Clinical Pharmacology. https://medlibrary.org/lib/rx/meds/saphris-1/page/6/
19. Ait Abdellah S, Raverot V, Gal C, et al. Bioavailability of melatonin after administration of an oral prolonged-release tablet and an immediate-release sublingual spray in healthy male volunteers. Drugs R D. 2023;23(3):257-265. DOI 10.1007/s40268-023-00431-9
20. Zetner D, Andersen LPH, Rosenberg J. Pharmacokinetics of alternative administration routes of melatonin: a systematic review. Drug Res (Stuttg). 2016;66(4):169-173. DOI 10.1055/s-0035-1565083
21. McCarthy DG, Stapleton RK, Handy RM, et al. Sublingual caffeine delivery via oral spray does not accelerate blood caffeine increase compared to ingestion of caffeinated beverages. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2025;125(7):2007-2013. DOI 10.1007/s00421-025-05735-z
22. Todd JJ, McSorley EM, Pourshahidi LK, Madigan SM, Laird E, Healy M, Magee PJ. Vitamin D3 supplementation in healthy adults: a comparison between capsule and oral spray solution as a method of delivery in a wintertime, randomised, open-label, cross-over study. Br J Nutr. 2016;116(8):1402-1408. DOI 10.1017/S0007114516003470
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