The process of mucoadhesion involving a polymeric drug delivery system is a complex one that includes processes such as wetting, adsorption and interpenetration of polymer chains. The success and degree of mucoadhesion bonding is influenced by various polymer-based properties such as the degree of cross-linking, chain length and the presence of various functional groupings. The attractiveness of mucosal-targeted controlled drug delivery of active pharmaceutical ingredients, has led formulation scientists to evaluate numerous polymeric systems for such tasks. Formulation scientists have at their disposal a range of in-vitro and in-vivo mucoadhesion testing setups in order to select candidate adhesive drug delivery system. As such, mucoadhesive systems have found wide use throughout many mucosal covered organelles for active ingredients delivery for local or systemic effect. Evaluation of such mucoadhesive formulations has transgressed from first-generation charged hydrophilic polymer networks to more specific second-generation systems based on lectin, thiol and various other adhesive functional groups.
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