Critical review on buccal mucoadhesive drug delivery systems

Abstract

Traditional oral dosage forms prone to first pass metabolism and degra­dation due to enzymes but mucoadhesive dosage form able to bypass first pass metabolism and related degradation. It also offers more patient compliance without risk of chocking in case of paediatric and geriatric patients. Buccal mucosa is considered as a convenient and easily accessible site for the drug administration for both local and systemic delivery. Mucoadhesion is a process involving chemical interactions between mucin and polymers. The use of mucoadhesive polymers in buccal drug delivery has gained a great attention. Various mucoadhesive dosage forms, including tablets, patches, disks, wafers, ointments and gels have recently been developed. Amongst them, buccal patches offer greater flexibility and comfort than the other forms. Smart materials such as stimuli-responsive hydrogels, liposome-based patches, polymeric micelles, etc. play a vital role in the development of these drug delivery systems by their efficient carrier capacity, prolonging the residence time of the drug at the site of absorption, improved drug bioavailability, reduced dosing frequency and improved patience compliance.