| 초록 |
Numerous mucoadhesive polymers have been exploited for prolonging the residence time of formulated drugs or pharmaceuticals at specific delivery sites. However, it has been difficult to achieve satisfactory mucoadhesive properties. With an overwhelming library of mucoadhesive polymers, one practical way to improve mucoadhesion is chemical modification of existing mucoadhesive polymers. Here, we conjugated catechols derived from mussel adhesive proteins to chitosan, which is a widely known mucoadhesive polymer. We demonstrated that the gastrointestinal (GI) tract retention of chitosan-catechol was improved compared to unmodified chitosan, which is due to the formation of irreversible catechol mediated-crosslinking with mucin. The results indicate that catechol modification of mucoadhesive polymers may possibly lead to a new generation of mucoadhesive polymers for mucosal delivery. |
