Current Mucoadhesive Dosage Forms for Buccal Drug Delivery: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature
Mohammad Hossein Mahboubian, Elham Keykha, Mohsen Yazdanian, Samira HajisadeghiBackground and Objective:
In recent years, buccal drug delivery has received increasing attention because of the unique structural and functional characteristics of the buccal mucosa. Various mucoadhesive biopolymers have been investigated to improve drug retention and delivery through this route. This review aimed to summarize recent advances in buccal mucoadhesive technologies and compare the efficacy of commonly used biopolymers.
Methods:
A comprehensive search of Scopus, PubMed, and the Wiley Online Library identified 354 peer-reviewed original research articles, including 134 from Scopus, 49 from PubMed, and 171 from Wiley Online Library. Studies primarily focused on the formulation and evaluation of various mucoadhesive dosage forms. The review was conducted and reported in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines.
Results:
Following screening, 322 articles remained eligible, of which 79 underwent full-text evaluation, and 17 were included in the meta-analysis. The Rosenthal Fail-Safe N test was used to assess the robustness of the meta-analytic findings, while publication bias was evaluated using funnel plot analysis. No significant evidence of publication bias was identified.
Discussion:
The available evidence indicates substantial diversity in the biopolymers used for buccal mucoadhesive drug delivery. Differences in physicochemical characteristics and mucoadhesive performance may influence the suitability of individual polymers for specific formulations. Among the evaluated materials, hydrogels demonstrated favorable mucoadhesive characteristics.
Conclusion:
Hydrogels appear to be promising biopolymeric materials for buccal mucoadhesive drug delivery. Further comparative studies using standardized evaluation methods are warranted to establish their relative advantages across different formulations and therapeutic applications.