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Colon targeted delivery systems: review of polysaccharides for encapsulation and delivery

Shantha L Kosaraju1

  • 1Food Science Australia, 671 Snydes Rd., Private Bag 16, Werribee, Victoria 3030, Australia. shantha.kosaraju@csiro.au

Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition
|July 29, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Developing colon-targeted delivery systems using natural polymers shows promise for treating colon diseases. These polysaccharide-based systems offer a novel approach for food and nutraceutical formulations, especially for colorectal cancer therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Drug Delivery Systems
  • Polymer Science
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Colon-targeted delivery of bioactives is crucial for treating colon diseases.
  • Previous colon-specific delivery systems have had limited success.
  • The colonic microenvironment and metabolic activity offer opportunities for novel delivery systems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the potential of natural biodegradable polymers for colon targeting.
  • To emphasize polysaccharide-based systems with minimal chemical modification for colon targeting.
  • To explore the application of these systems in food/nutraceutical formulations for colon diseases.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent research on colon-targeted delivery systems.
  • Focus on natural biodegradable polymers, particularly polysaccharides.
  • Analysis of systems utilizing colonic microenvironment and metabolic activity.

Main Results:

  • Polysaccharide-based systems show significant potential for colon targeting.
  • Minimal chemical modification of polysaccharides is key for effective systems.
  • These systems can be applied to food and nutraceutical formulations.

Conclusions:

  • Novel colon-targeted delivery systems based on natural polysaccharides are promising.
  • These systems offer a viable strategy for managing colon-based diseases like colorectal cancer.
  • Further development in food/nutraceutical applications is anticipated.

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