A Comprehensive Review on Mucoadhesive Drug Delivery

The two major problems in the development of new drugs are low aqueous solubility and low oral bioavailability. Although, drug delivery via oral route is most preferred for years but it also has some drawbacks. Various techniques for improving the solubility have been developed, however the success of these techniques depends on the physical and chemical properties of the drug under development. In recent years, mucoadhesive drug delivery gained high popularity in comparison to other routes of drug delivery as it can circumvent the drawbacks of conventional delivery system such as first pass metabolism, enzymatic degradation, GI toxicity of some drugs, instability in acidic or alkaline environment and poor bioavailability. Various mucoadhesive dosage forms have been developed recently including tablets, patches, films, ointments, gels etc. The objective of current review is to provide a comprehensive overview of mucoadhesive drug delivery including the mechanism and theories behind mucoadhesion, factors affecting mucoadhesion, different dosage forms, polymers used in mucoadhesive formulations, characterization techniques, marketed products and current scenario & future challenges. Keywords: Mucoadhesion, Buccal mucosa, Mucoadhesive drug delivery, Mucoadhesive polymers, Mucus membrane, Patents