Development and Evaluation of Epichlorohydrin Cross-Linked Mucoadhesive Patches of Tamarind Seed Polysaccharide for Buccal Application

In this study, buccal patches of metronidazole were formulated by solvent casting method using tamarind seed polysaccharide (TSP). The patches were crosslinked with epichlorohydrin and different batches were prepared following 23 factorial design. The patches were evaluated with respect to their ex-vivo drug permeation characteristics, mucoadhesive strength, folding endurance, and buccal residence time. At lower level of cross linker and plasticizer, the drug permeation was the highest (72.72%). The drug release from the patches was dominated by a dissolution-controlled mechanism rather than diffusion. The folding endurance did not vary widely (201-254), however the mucoadhesive strength (6.1-36.5 g) and the residence time (~2-6 h) deviated widely depending upon the formulation variables. The FT-IR spectroscopy revealed no interaction between drug and polymer. Thus the TSP could be a promising vehicle for the fabrication of buccal patches.