Title:Chitosan-Based Nanocarriers for Pulmonary and Intranasal Drug
Delivery Systems: A Comprehensive Overview of their Applications
Volume: 25
Issue: 7
Author(s): Wasan Alwahsh, Shariza Sahudin*, Hatim Alkhatib, Mohammad F. Bostanudin and Mohammad Alwahsh
Affiliation:
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA Cawangan Selangor, Puncak Alam
Campus, 42300, Selangor, Malaysia
- Atta-Ur-Rahman Institute of Natural Products Discovery, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Puncak Alam Campus, 42300, Selangor, Malaysia
Keywords:
Chitosan, nanoparticles, pulmonary, nasal, nanocarrier, liposome, dendrimers, drug delivery.
Abstract: The optimization of respiratory health is important, and one avenue for achieving this is
through the application of both Pulmonary Drug Delivery System (PDDS) and Intranasal Delivery
(IND). PDDS offers immediate delivery of medication to the respiratory system, providing advantages,
such as sustained regional drug concentration, tunable drug release, extended duration of action,
and enhanced patient compliance. IND, renowned for its non-invasive nature and swift onset
of action, presents a promising path for advancement. Modern PDDS and IND utilize various polymers,
among which chitosan (CS) stands out. CS is a biocompatible and biodegradable
polysaccharide with unique physicochemical properties, making it well-suited for medical and
pharmaceutical applications. The multiple positively charged amino groups present in CS facilitate
its interaction with negatively charged mucous membranes, allowing CS to adsorb easily onto
the mucosal surface. In addition, CS-based nanocarriers have been an important topic of research.
Polymeric Nanoparticles (NPs), liposomes, dendrimers, microspheres, nanoemulsions, Solid Lipid
Nanoparticles (SLNs), carbon nanotubes, and modified effective targeting systems compete as important
ways of increasing pulmonary drug delivery with chitosan. This review covers the latest
findings on CS-based nanocarriers and their applications.