REVIEW ON: SUBLINGUAL ROUTE FOR SYSTEMIC DRUG DELIVERY

Delivery of drug in the oral cavity through the oral mucosa is examined to be a promising alternative to the oral route. Sublingual means “under the tongue” which rapidly absorb the drug through the oral mucosa and enter into the systemic circulation. This route provides various advantages such as quick onset of action, patient compliance, hepatic first pass metabolism and increase bioavailability. Dysphagia is a common problem in pediatric, geriatric and psychiatric patients. In terms of permeability sublingual area of oral cavity is more permeable than buccal area which is in turn is more permeable than palatal area. Now a days most of the population need effective, faster and better relief within a short period of time. So, this route is the most appropriate route of administration and it rapidly dissolves in saliva. Many drugs like cardiovascular drugs, steroids, vitamin and barbiturates are applied in the sublingual drug delivery. This review highlights the difference between sublingual route and oral route in which sublingual route is more effective than oral route, advantages, disadvantages, factor affecting of sublingual route, various techniques are used to formulate the sublingual dosage form, taste masking, evaluation such as Hardness, Disintegration, Friability, In-vitro release study, Physiochemical properties of drugs, Consideration during sublingual formulation and market formulation. Keyword: - Oral cavity, Sublingual, Dysphagia, Salivary glands, bioavailability, Hepatic metabolism