Chitosan: a unique polysaccharide for drug delivery.
The aim of this review is to give an insight into the many potential applications of chitosan as a pharmaceutical drug carrier. The first part of this review concerns the principal uses of chitosan as an excipient in oral formulations (particularly as a direct tableting agent) and as a vehicle for parenteral drug delivery devices. The use of chitosan to manufacture sustained-release systems deliverable by other routes (nasal, ophthalmic, transdermal, and implantable devices) is discussed in the second part.
Felt
O
O
School of Pharmacy, University of Geneva, Switzerland.
Buri
P
P
Gurny
R
R
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; D002686:Chitin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry; D048271:Chitosan; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004304:Dosage Forms; D004337:Drug Carriers; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D005079:Excipients; D006801:Humans; D008081:Liposomes; D008863:Microspheres; D014677:Pharmaceutical Vehicles; D013607:Tablets
D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004304:Dosage Forms; D004337:Drug Carriers; D005079:Excipients; D008081:Liposomes; D014677:Pharmaceutical Vehicles; D013607:Tablets; D002686:Chitin; D048271:Chitosan