Recent updates on thiolated chitosan polymer in mucoadhesive drug delivery applications

Abstract

The concept of mucoadhesion has gained considerable interest in pharmaceutical industry and academic research due to this
technology have potential to deliver highly efficient dosage forms especially for oral drug delivery. Thiolated chitosan polymer
expected to strong cohesive properties with mucus layer, make them highly suitable excipients for controlled drug release dosage
forms. The mechanism of enhancing mucoadhesion due to the high value of the thiol moieties on chitosan leading to a much
higher concentration of thiolate anions, which are responsible for the reaction with thiol groups within the mucus gel layer that
improves mucoadhesion based on the covalent attachment. Thiolated chitosan could have potential to prolong retention of the
dosage form at the site of absorption, thereby improving its clinical efficacy of the encapsulated drugs. Within this Review, an
overview of mucoadhesive system and properties of thiolated chitosan and its application toward oral mucoadhesive drug delivery
is discussed.