Chitosan nanoparticles facilitate improved intestinal permeation and oral pharmacokinetics of the mast cell stabiliser cromoglycate

Myricetin encapsulated chitosan nanoformulation for management of type 2 diabetes: Preparation, optimization, characterization and in vivo activity

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a serious and alarming disease attracting widespread attention. It is not a single metabolic disease; over time, it leads to serious disorders, namely, diabetic nephropathy, neuropathy, retinopathy and several cardiovascular, hepatocellular complications. The increase in T2DM cases in recent times has attracted significant attention. Currently, the medications available have side effects, and injectables are painful, causing trauma to the patients. Therefore, it is imperative to come up with oral delivery. In this background we report here a nanoformulation carrying natural small molecule Myricetin (MYR) encapsulated within Chitosan nanoparticles (CHT-NPs). MYR-CHT-NPs were prepared by ionic gelation method and evaluated using different characterization techniques. The in vitro release of MYR from CHT NPs in different physiological media showed pH dependence. in vivo pharmacodynamic study followed by oral administration in Albino Wistar rats showed better glycaemic control than existing drug. Further, the optimized nanoparticles also exhibited controlled increase in weight as compared to Metformin. The biochemistry profile of rats treated with nanoformulation reduced the levels of several pathological biomarkers, indicating additional benefits of MYR. Histopathological images exhibited no toxicity or changes in the major organs section in contrast to normal control, suggesting safe oral administration of the encapsulated MYR. Thus, we conclude that MYR-CHT-NPs represent an attractive delivery vehicle in improving the blood glucose level with controlled weight and have the potential to be safely administered orally for the management of T2DM.

Drug delivery targets and strategies to address mast cell diseases

INTRODUCTION

Current and developing mast cell therapeutics are reliant on small molecule drugs and biologics, but few are truly selective for mast cells. Most have cellular and disease-specific limitations that require innovation to overcome longstanding challenges to selectively targeting and modulating mast cell behavior. This review is designed to serve as a frame of reference for new approaches that utilize nanotechnology or combine different drugs to increase mast cell selectivity and therapeutic efficacy.

AREAS COVERED

Mast cell diseases include allergy and related conditions as well as malignancies. Here, we discuss the targets of existing and developing therapies used to treat these disease pathologies, classifying them into cell surface, intracellular, and extracellular categories. For each target discussed, we discuss drugs that are either the current standard of care, under development, or have indications for potential use. Finally, we discuss how novel technologies and tools can be used to take existing therapeutics to a new level of selectivity and potency against mast cells.

EXPERT OPINION

There are many broadly and very few selectively targeted therapeutics for mast cells in allergy and malignant disease. Combining existing targeting strategies with technology like nanoparticles will provide novel platforms to treat mast cell disease more selectively.

"Two-birds-one-stone" colon-targeted nanomedicine treats ulcerative colitis via remodeling immune microenvironment and anti-fibrosis

Dysregulated mucosal immune responses and colonic fibrosis impose two formidable challenges for ulcerative colitis treatment. It indicates that monotherapy could not sufficiently deal with this complicated disease and combination therapy may provide a potential solution. A chitosan-modified poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticle (CS-PLGA NP) system was developed for co-delivering patchouli alcohol and simvastatin to the inflamed colonic epithelium to alleviate the symptoms of ulcerative colitis via remodeling immune microenvironment and anti-fibrosis, a so-called “two-birds-one-stone” nanotherapeutic strategy. The bioadhesive nanomedicine enhanced the intestinal epithelial cell uptake efficiency and improved the drug stability in the gastrointestinal tract. The nanomedicine effectively regulated the Akt/MAPK/NF-κB pathway and reshaped the immune microenvironment through repolarizing M2Φ, promoting regulatory T cells and G-MDSC, suppressing neutrophil and inflammatory monocyte infiltration, as well as inhibiting dendritic cell maturation. Additionally, the nanomedicine alleviated colonic fibrosis. Our work elucidates that the colon-targeted codelivery for combination therapy is promising for ulcerative colitis treatment and to address the unmet medical need.

Multiple Roles of Chitosan in Mucosal Drug Delivery: An Updated Review

Chitosan (CS) is a linear polysaccharide obtained by the deacetylation of chitin, which, after cellulose, is the second biopolymer most abundant in nature, being the primary component of the exoskeleton of crustaceans and insects. Since joining the pharmaceutical field, in the early 1990s, CS attracted great interest, which has constantly increased over the years, due to its several beneficial and favorable features, including large availability, biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity, simplicity of chemical modifications, mucoadhesion and permeation enhancer power, joined to its capability of forming films, hydrogels and micro- and nanoparticles. Moreover, its cationic character, which renders it unique among biodegradable polymers, is responsible for the ability of CS to strongly interact with different types of molecules and for its intrinsic antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and hemostatic activities. However, its pH-dependent solubility and susceptibility to ions presence may represent serious drawbacks and require suitable strategies to be overcome. Presently, CS and its derivatives are widely investigated for a great variety of pharmaceutical applications, particularly in drug delivery. Among the alternative routes to overcome the problems related to the classic oral drug administration, the mucosal route is becoming the favorite non-invasive delivery pathway. This review aims to provide an updated overview of the applications of CS and its derivatives in novel formulations intended for different methods of mucosal drug delivery.