Polymers for mucoadhesive drug delivery system: a current status.

To overcome the relatively short gastrointestinal (GI) time and improve localization for oral controlled or sustained release drug delivery systems, bioadhesive polymers that adhere to the mucin/epithelial surface are effective and lead to significant improvement in oral drug delivery. Improvements are also expected for other mucus-covered sites of drug administration. Bioadhesive polymers find application in the eye, nose, and vaginal cavity as well as in the GI tract, including the buccal cavity and rectum. This article lays emphasis mainly on mucoadhesive polymers, their properties, and their applications in buccal, ocular, nasal, and vaginal drug delivery systems with its evaluation methods.