Mucoadhesive Polymer Blend for Application of Medications to Oral Mucosa

The efficacy of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) in compounded medications for oral mucosa greatly depends on the composition of the base. Researchers assessed the safety, facilitation of cell migration, and mucoadhesive properties of a newly developed mucoadhesive polymer blend (MPB) which contains pullulan, tamarindus indica polysaccharide, and sodium hyaluronate. No cell death was observed when human oral keratinocyte and fibroblast cells were exposed to 1% MPB for 24 hours. Epithelial cells in a 3D buccal tissue model (EpiOral) were unaffected when exposed to 50% MPB for 20 hours. The expressions of cytokines IL1α and IL1β and cell proliferation markers in EpiOral tissue did not increase suggesting that MPB is neither an irritant nor a mitogen. Markers of apoptosis were not observed in cells exposed to MPB. MPB showed stronger mucoadhesion on the human EpiOral tissue model compared with a reference product. The research concluded that MPB can safely deliver an API within the oral mucosa, facilitate cell migration, and may increase drug efficacy through its strong mucoadhesive property.