Chitosans as absorption enhancers of poorly absorbable drugs

Prevention by Chitosan of Myelotoxicity, Gastrointestinal Toxicity and Immunocompetent Organic Toxicity Induced by 5‐Fluorouracil without Loss of Antitumor Activity in Mice

“…There are a number of reports that chitosan can be used as an absorption enhancer of drugs. [39][40][41][42] Sugimoto et al 43) reported that ampicillin absorption by poly(vinyl alcohol)-gel spheres was enhanced by the chitosan combination, and that poly(vinyl alcohol)-gel spheres prepared with chitosan prolonged the small intestinal transit time more than poly(vinyl alcohol)-gel spheres. Singh and Udupa 44) reported that the antitumor activity in Ehrlich ascites tumor-bearing mice given methotrexate-loaded chitosan microspheres was better when compared with plain methotrexate on oral administration, and the plasma methotrexate levels were more sustained.…”

Chitosan as a starting material for wound healing applications

“…In vitro toxicity of chitosan is closely related to both its degree of deacetylation (DD) and to its molecular weight (MW) (Schipper et al, 1997). The effect of two types of micron-sized chitosan particles with different molecular weight -low (LMWC; kDa) and high (HMWC; 310 -375 kDa) molecular weight chitosan -was studied on a keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT) using the MTT assay.…”

Chitosan as a nonviral gene delivery system. Structure–property relationships and characteristics compared with polyethylenimine in vitro and after lung administration in vivo

“…This is consistent with the observed association of the UPC formulation with a putative mucus layer, rather than with the epithelial cells, and also with previous results that indicate that the mucus layer in the rat small intestine may block the interaction between chitosan and the intestinal epithelium. 39 Since the mucus layer also reduces the efficiency of other nonviral and adenoviral gene delivery systems, 40 this finding must be kept in mind if chitosan is to be considered as an alternative delivery system in cystic fibrosis patients, who have a thick and highly viscous mucus layer. 41 However, further studies are needed in this area since in other studies, a chitosan-based delivery system gave a high gene expression in the intestine after oral administration to mice, despite the presence of a thick mucus barrier adjacent to the intestinal epithilium in the mouse intestine.…”