Mucoadhesive drug delivery systems.

The uptake of drugs is often limited by the short contact time between the formulation and the absorption membrane and by a fast washout. Using mucoadhesive polymers, however, the residence time of the dosage form on the mucosa can be significantly increased. In this chapter the composition of the mucus, the different mucoadhesion theories and binding types between mucus and mucoadhesives, mucoadhesion tests and factors influencing mucoadhesion are introduced. Various mucoadhesive polymers are also described and an overview of various mucoadhesive delivery systems is provided.