MUCOADHESIVE POLYMER IN NOVEL DRUG DELIVERY: A PROMISING THERAPEUTIC STRATEGY

Basheera Bee Shek

Shek. Basheera Bee Priyadarshini Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, 5th Mile, Pulladigunta, Guntur-522017, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Abstract

Mucoadhesive drug delivery systems are designed to adhere to the mucosal surfaces of the body by interacting with the mucus layer and mucin glycoproteins, thereby enhancing the residence time of drug formulations at the site of absorption. This prolonged contact improves drug bioavailability, enables controlled and sustained drug release, and reduces dosing frequency, ultimately enhancing patient compliance. This review highlights the mechanisms and theories of cohesion, factors affecting mucoadhesive performance, types of mucoadhesive polymers, and recent developments, emphasizing their potential in targeted and patient-friendly drug delivery mucoadhesive systems have found wide applications in buccal, nasal, ocular, vaginal, and gastrointestinal drug delivery, particularly for peptides, proteins, and vaccines. This review highlights the mechanisms and theories of cohesion, factors affecting mucoadhesive performance, types of mucoadhesive polymers, and recent developments, emphasizing their potential in targeted and patient-friendly drug delivery system.

Keywords: Mucoadhesion, Mucoadhesive polymers, Mucosal drug delivery, Controlled drug release, Bioavailability, Nanomucoadhesive systems

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

1. Yadav V, Sipai A, Mamatha Y, Prasantha V. Transdermal drug delivery: a technical writeup. J Pharm Sci Innov. 2012;1(1):5-12.
2. Verma S, Kaul M, Rawat A, Saini S. An overview on buccal drug delivery system. Int J Pharm Sci Res. 2011;2(6):1303-1311.
3. Chickering DE III. Definitions, mechanisms, and theory of bioadhesion. In: Mathiowitz E, Chickering DE III, Lehr CM, editors. Bioadhesive Drug Delivery Systems: Fundamentals, Novel Approaches and Development. New York: Marcel Dekker; 1999. p. 1-10.
4. Favi PM, Yi S, Lenaghan SC, Xia L, Zhang M. Inspiration from the natural world: from bio-adhesives to bio-inspired adhesives. J Adhes Sci Technol. 2014;28(3-4):290-319. doi:10.1080/01694243.2012.691809.
5. Hägerström H, Edsman K, Strømme M. Low-frequency dielectric spectroscopy as a tool for studying the compatibility between pharmaceutical gels and mucous tissue. J Pharm Sci. 2003;92(9):1869-1877.
6. Peppas NA, Sahlin JJ. Hydrogels as mucoadhesive and bioadhesive materials: a review. Biomaterials. 1996;17(16):1553-1561.
7. Khanvilkar K, Donovan MD, Flanagan DR. Drug transfer through mucus. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2001;48(2-3):173-193. doi:10.1016/S0169-409X(01)00115-6.
8. Rao C. Evaluation of antiulcer activity of Picrasma quassioides Bennett aqueous extract in rodents. Vedic Res Int Phytomed. 2013;1:27-34.
9. Gindi S, Methra T, Chandu BR, Boyina R, Dasari V. Antiurolithiatic and in vitro antioxidant activity of leaves of Ageratum conyzoides in rats. World J Pharm Pharm Sci. 2013;2:636-649.
10. Nama S, Chandu BR, Awen BZ, Khagga M. Development and validation of a new RP-HPLC method for the determination of aprepitant in solid dosage forms. Trop J Pharm Res. 2011;10(4):489-495.
11. Kiranmai M, Renuka P, Brahmaiah B, Chandu BR. Vitamin D as a promising anticancer agent. Int J Res Pharm Chem. 2012;2(1):108-114.
12. Degapati RT. Novel approaches in transdermal drug delivery system. J Multidiscip Res. 2025;20-25.
13. Nanjwade BK, Bechra HM, Derkar GK, Manvi FV, Nanjwade VK. Dendrimers: emerging polymers for drug delivery systems. Eur J Pharm Sci. 2009;38(3):185-196.
14. Prasanthi G, Chandu BR, Kumar YP, Swarnalatha D, Gopinath C. Chemical pharmacology of khat leaves. J Glob Trends Pharm Sci. 2012;3(4):856-864.
15. Chaitanya GM, Sasi B, Kumar A, Rao CB, Rao BP, Jayakumar T. Prediction of fracture profile using digital image correlation. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth International Conference on Quality Control by Artificial Vision; 2015 Apr 30; Le Creusot, France. Bellingham (WA): SPIE; 2015. p. 281-288. doi:10.1117/12.2182911.