Mucoadhesive tablets for buccal administration containing sodium nimesulide

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Drug Delivery Systems
• Biopharmaceutics

Background:

• Buccal drug delivery offers an alternative route for systemic administration.
• Nimesulide's therapeutic potential can be enhanced by optimizing its delivery across the buccal mucosa.
• Mucoadhesive formulations can prolong drug residence time in the oral cavity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of nimesulide sodium salt in mucoadhesive tablets for improved buccal flux.
• To evaluate the impact of salt form and formulation on nimesulide permeation.
• To assess the stability and release characteristics of the buccal mucoadhesive tablets.

Main Methods:

• In vitro release studies using Franz diffusion cells with porcine buccal mucosa.
• Development of mucoadhesive tablets incorporating nimesulide sodium salt.
• Design of tablets with protective layers to minimize drug loss into saliva.
• Evaluation of drug permeation and concentration gradients.

Main Results:

• The nimesulide sodium salt exhibited higher solubility, potentially increasing the concentration gradient.
• Despite the ionized form, the permeation coefficient was sufficiently high.
• The formulation's composition led to the degradation of the nimesulide chemical form.
• The intended advantages of the salt form for enhanced flux could not be fully realized.

Conclusions:

• The chemical degradation of nimesulide within the mucoadhesive formulation negated the benefits of using the sodium salt.
• Further research is needed to develop stable formulations for buccal delivery of nimesulide sodium salt.
• Optimizing formulation excipients is critical to prevent drug degradation and achieve enhanced buccal permeation.