Formulation and Evaluation of Mucoadhesive Drug Delivery Systems: A Novel Approach to Overcome First-Pass Metabolism of Salbutamol Sulphate via Mucoadhesive Buccal Tablets

Buccal drug delivery bypasses hepatic first-pass metabolism, offering improved bioavailability over conventional oral administration. This work presents the formulation and evaluation of mucoadhesive buccal tablets of Salbutamol sulphate using natural polymers-Xanthan gum, Guar gum, and Sodium alginate.FTIR and DSC studies confirmed drug-excipient compatibility. Thirty formulations prepared by direct compression, with Ethyl cellulose as a backing layer, met all standard physicochemical parameters. In-vitro dissolution showed up to 100.81% drug release over 8 hours following zero-order kinetics. In-vivo studies on rabbits confirmed 87.37% buccal absorption with sustained plasma levels and higher AUC than oral administration. Good in-vitro/in-vivo correlation and three-month stability were demonstrated.These results establish mucoadhesive buccal tablets as an effective, stable, and bioavailable dosage form for asthma management.