A review on: mucoadhesive drug delivery systems

Abstract

Mucoadhesive drug delivery systems interact with the mucus layer covering the mucosal epithelial surface, and mucin molecules and increase the residence time of the dosage form at the site of absorption. Over the past few decades, mucosal drug delivery has received a great deal of attention. Mucoadhesive dosage forms may be designed to enable prolonged retention at the site of application, providing a controlled rate of drug release for improved therapeutic activity. The mucoadhesive ability of a dosage form is dependent upon a variety of factors, including the nature of the mucosal tissue and the physicochemical properties of the polymeric formulation. This review covers the areas of mechanisms and theories of mucoadhesion, factors influencing the mucoadhesive materials, mucoadhesive polymers, and also various mucoadhesive dosage forms.