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Insulin availability from mucoadhesive tablets
J Pluta1, D Haznar, A Suszka-Switek
1Department of Drug Form Technology, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland.
Die Pharmazie
|September 30, 2008
Summary
Mucoadhesive tablets containing insulin offer a non-invasive alternative to injections. Methylcellulose-based tablets demonstrated superior efficacy in lowering blood glucose levels in rabbits compared to sodium alginate formulations.
Area of Science:
- Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Biomaterials Science
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- Parenteral administration of peptide drugs presents significant challenges, including invasiveness and inconvenience.
- Oral transmucosal administration offers a promising non-invasive alternative for peptide drug delivery.
- Developing effective carriers for oral transmucosal peptide delivery is crucial for improving patient compliance and therapeutic outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the potential of mucoadhesive tablets for oral transmucosal peptide delivery.
- To investigate the efficacy of methylcellulose (MC) and sodium alginate (SA) based mucoadhesive tablets containing insulin.
- To assess the impact of hyaluronic acid as an absorption modifier in these formulations.
Main Methods:
- Two series of mucoadhesive tablets (50 mg, containing 5 mg insulin) were prepared using either methylcellulose or sodium alginate as the base, with hyaluronic acid and mannitol as excipients.
- The efficacy of oral transmucosal insulin administration was evaluated in rabbits by monitoring blood glucose levels.
- In vivo studies were conducted to compare the glycemic lowering effects of the different tablet formulations.
Main Results:
- Insulin administration via mucoadhesive tablets successfully lowered blood glucose levels in rabbits.
- Methylcellulose-based tablets (MC-HA-mannitol) demonstrated significantly stronger and longer-lasting glycemic control compared to sodium alginate-based tablets (SA-HA-mannitol).
- Hyaluronic acid played a role in modifying absorption, contributing to the overall efficacy of the transmucosal delivery system.
Conclusions:
- Mucoadhesive tablets are a viable strategy for the oral transmucosal delivery of insulin, overcoming the limitations of parenteral administration.
- Methylcellulose-based mucoadhesive tablets show superior performance for insulin delivery, achieving more effective and sustained blood glucose reduction.
- These findings support the further development of mucoadhesive tablet technology for peptide-based therapeutics via the oral transmucosal route.
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