Comparative mucoadhesive study of hyaluronic acid‐based conjugates on different mucosae

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe incentive of this study was to provide a detailed mucoadhesive comparison on adhesive properties on diverse mucosal surfaces such as nasal, buccal, and vaginal mucosa, respectively. Mucoadhesive hyaluronic acid–cysteine ethyl ester (HA–SH) conjugate was synthesized by the anchorage of sulfhydryl groups (SH) on the polymeric backbone of HA via amide bond formation between the carboxylic acid moieties of hyaluronic acid and sulfhydryl groups of cysteine ethyl ester. Histology assay in terms of alcian blue staining was performed on mucosal tissue in order to evaluate the potential impact on viability. The proficiency of water uptake was studied in various simulated body fluid. Moreover, mucoadhesive assays based on rotating cylinder, total work of adhesion, and maximum detachment force were carried out on various mucosae. The findings revealed in presence of 2.7‐, 2.6‐, and 1.25‐fold improvement in swelling behavior in comparison to unmodified HA on nasal, buccal, and vaginal mucosa. Furthermore, mucoadhesive studies showed a 3.2‐, 2.6‐, 2.6‐fold more extended residence time on nasal, buccal, and vaginal in presence of HA–SH in comparison to unmodified HA, respectively. Taken together, the comprehensive mucoadhesive study serve as guidance in the development of mucoadhesive drug delivery systems for versatile application. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 46071.