Current applications of polysaccharides in colon targeting

Area of Science:

• Natural polymers
• Drug delivery systems
• Colon-specific delivery

Background:

• Polysaccharides offer numerous derivatizable groups, varied molecular weights, and compositions.
• These natural polymers exhibit low toxicity, biodegradability, and high stability.
• Their characteristics make them suitable for pharmaceutical and biochemical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review polysaccharides for colon-specific drug delivery.
• To discuss bacterial sources of polysaccharidases and colonic enzymatic flora.
• To present available polysaccharides and methods for colon-specific delivery.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of polysaccharides in drug delivery.
• Analysis of bacterial and colonic enzymes.
• Overview of polysaccharide-based colon-specific delivery approaches.
• Summary of in vitro and in vivo testing methods.

Main Results:

• Polysaccharides are versatile in drug delivery (coatings, matrices, carriers).
• Bacterial and colonic enzymes play a role in polysaccharide degradation.
• Various polysaccharides are suitable for colon-specific delivery.
• Established in vitro and in vivo methods exist for testing.

Conclusions:

• Polysaccharides show significant promise for colon-specific drug delivery systems.
• Their properties align well with the requirements for targeted colonic therapies.
• Further research and application of polysaccharides in this field are warranted.