Abstract
The conventional oral administration of many nutraceuticals exhibits poor oral bioavailability due to the harsh gastric conditions and first-pass metabolism. Oral mucosa has been recognized as a potential site for the delivery of therapeutic compounds. The mucoadhesive formulation can adhere to the mucosal membrane through various interaction mechanisms and enhance the retention and permeability of bioactive compounds. Absorption of bioactive compounds from the mucosa can improve bioavailability, as this route bypasses the hepatic first-pass metabolism and transit through the gastrointestinal tract. The mucosal administration is convenient, simple to access, and reported for increasing the bioactive concentration in plasma. Many mucoadhesive polymers, emulsifiers, thickeners used for the pharmaceutical formulation are accepted in the food sector. Introducing mucoadhesive formulations specific to the nutraceutical sector will be a game-changer as we are still looking for different ways to improve the bioavailability of many bioactive compounds. This article describes the overview of buccal mucosa, the concept of mucoadhesion and related theories, and different techniques of mucoadhesive formulations. Finally, the classification of mucoadhesive polymers and the mucoadhesive systems designed for the effective delivery of bioactive compounds are presented.
Highlights
Nutraceutical, a hybrid term for denoting “nutrition” and “pharmaceutical”, was coined in 1989 by Stephen L
Chitosan film promoted the healing of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), and the pain score was significantly reduced from day 4 to day 6
Chitosan +alginate +α-mangostin hydrogel films were adhesive toward the mouse mucosa for
Summary
Nutraceutical, a hybrid term for denoting “nutrition” and “pharmaceutical”, was coined in 1989 by Stephen L. DeFelice defined nutraceutical as “any substance that is a food or a part of the food and provides medical or health benefits, including the prevention and treatment of disease” [1,2]. Nutraceuticals have gained much attention for the benefits of reducing lifestyle-associated diseases, including arthritis, asthma, type II diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension. The nutraceutical compound may possess poor physical stability, permeability, and bioavailability, which limits the absorption from the GI tract. This poor absorption pattern of conventional nutraceutical formulation put pressure on the research scientist to deliver nutraceutical/bioactive products more bioavailable through oral administration [3]
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