Mucoadhesive Formulation Designs for Oral Controlled Drug Release at the Colon

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Mucoadhesive formulations have been demonstrated to result in efficient drug delivery systems with advantages
over existing systems such as increased local retention and sustained drug release via adhesiveness to mucosal tissues. The
controlled release of colon-targeted, orally administered drugs has recently attracted a number of studies investigating
mucoadhesive systems. Consequently, substantial designs, from mucoadhesive cores to shells of particles, have been studied
with promising applications. This review will provide an overview of and discuss specific strategies for developing
mucoadhesive systems for colon-targeted oral delivery with controlled drug release, including mucoadhesive matrices,
cross-linked mucoadhesive microparticles, coatings and mucoadhesive nanoparticles. The understanding of the basic
principle of these designs and advanced formulations throughout will lead to the development of products with efficient
drug delivery at the colon for therapies for different diseases.