Abstract
Publisher Summary Chitosan is a polysaccharide consisting of copolymers of glucosamine and N-acetylglucosamine. It is obtained by alkaline deacetylation of chitin, which is the second most abundant polysaccharide in nature. Because of its favorable properties, such as biocompatibility, enzymatic biodegradability and non-toxicity, chitosan has received considerable attention as an excipient in drug delivery systems. Because of its muco-adhesive and/or permeation enhancing properties it is utilized in various fields of pharmaceutical technology including the formulation of controlled release dosage forms, such as tablets, gels, micro- and nano-particles for oral, nasal, ocular and buccal drug delivery. In addition, chitosan shows promising features in non-viral gene delivery. The muco-adhesive and permeation enhancing properties can be further improved by the immobilization of thiol groups on the polymeric backbone of chitosan. This chapter provides an overview about different thiolated chitosans that have been generated so far, and their characterization and optimization utilizing various in vitro test systems. It also discusses the performance of thiolated chitosans in vivo and potential future applications in drug delivery.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Natural-Based Polymers for Biomedical Applications
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
