Diltiazem-loaded buccoadhesive patches for oral mucosal delivery: Formulation and in vitro characterization

The objective of the present study was to develop and evaluate bioadhesive buccal patches for mucosal delivery of diltiazem. The antihypertensive agent, diltiazem, undergoes first pass metabolism which compromises its bioavailability and the buccal route is a viable alternative to bypass this metabolism. In the present study, the buccal patches were fabricated with Eudragit L100 as the film forming polymer and hydroxypropyl methylcelluose, Carbopol 934 and sodium carboxymethylcellulose as the mucoadhesive polymer. The patches were characterized for various physicochemical attributes viz., weight uniformity, surface pH, folding endurance, swelling profile, content uniformity, permeability study, in vitro drug release profile and stability study in saliva. The results indicate that the Carbopol 934 is suitable for fabricating buccoadhesive patches with requisite release and stability profile.