Application of Carbohydrate Polymers in Drug Delivery

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Pharmaceutical Processes".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2025) | Viewed by 936

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacy, Fatima College of Health Sciences, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Interests: carbohydrate polymers; complex coacervation; microencapsulation; alginates; gelatin; carboxymethyl cellulose; drug delivery

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Guest Editor
School of Science, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya 47500, SGR, Malaysia
Interests: carbohydrate polymers; drug delivery; hydrogels; polymer science; tissue engineering

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Guest Editor
College of Pharmacy, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar
Interests: carbohydrate polymers; drug delivery; nanoparticles; bioavailability; formulations

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Carbohydrate polymers are extensively studied in the development of drug delivery systems. These polysaccharide molecules are abundantly present in nature. Several preparation methods and crosslinking processes of carbohydrate-based hydrogels were reported in the literature to entrap and control the drug release. The versatile properties of natural and semi-synthetic polysaccharides were exploited to release the drug in a specific physiological environment based on pH, solubility, and microbial enzymes. Products such as microcapsules, nanoparticles, tablets, capsules, hydrogels, microbeads, and discs were developed using different methods, including ionotropic gelation, chemical crosslinking, radiation crosslinking, surface coating, and spray drying.

The Special Issue reports novel developments in drug delivery strategies using carbohydrate polymers. Examples of carbohydrate polymers include, but are not limited to, pectin, alginate, cellulose, chitosan, xanthan, acacia, and carrageenins. Furthermore, research and review articles with a specific interest in developing carbohydrate-based drug delivery systems addressing the following areas will be considered:

  • Novel cross-linking and encapsulation processes;
  • Treating particular diseases where carbohydrate polymers are vital in delivering the drug to the target site;
  • Improving the dissolution and bioavailability of drugs;
  • Addressing and resolving drug delivery issues;
  • Modifying carbohydrate polymers to achieve desirable properties in drug delivery.

Dr. Saravanan Muniyandy
Dr. Pushpamalar Janarthanan
Prof. Dr. Nashiru Billa
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • carbohydrate polymers
  • drug delivery
  • pharmaceutical formulations
  • physicochemical characterisation
  • encapsulation
  • hydrogels
  • alginate
  • carboxymethyl cellulose
  • pectin
  • guar gum
  • accacia
  • chitosan
  • xanthan

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

22 pages, 2399 KiB  
Article
Study of Carvedilol–β-Cyclodextrin Derivatives Interactions
by Ema-Teodora Niţu, Amalia Ridichie, Claudia Temereancă, Ioana Mitrofan, Luciana Buliga, Sebastian Simu, Cornelia Muntean, Gerlinde Rusu, Ionuţ Ledeţi, Adriana Ledeţi and Laura Sbârcea
Processes 2025, 13(4), 1141; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13041141 - 10 Apr 2025
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Abstract
Carvedilol (CARV) is a nonselective beta and alpha-1 adrenoceptor antagonist commonly indicated for chronic heart failure and hypertension. Its clinical potential is limited by its low aqueous solubility, resulting in poor bioavailability. Encapsulation of CARV by cyclodextrins (CDs) was performed to exceed its [...] Read more.
Carvedilol (CARV) is a nonselective beta and alpha-1 adrenoceptor antagonist commonly indicated for chronic heart failure and hypertension. Its clinical potential is limited by its low aqueous solubility, resulting in poor bioavailability. Encapsulation of CARV by cyclodextrins (CDs) was performed to exceed its solubility-related barriers. This study examines the impact of the CD type and ethanol, as a co-solvent used in the preparation step, on the complexation of CARV with two β-CD derivatives. The inclusion complexes (ICs) were prepared employing the kneading method and investigated using different analytical techniques, including thermoanalytical methods, powder X-ray diffractometry (PXRD), universal attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (UATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, UV spectroscopy and saturation solubility studies. The binary products of CARV with heptakis(2,6-di-O-methyl)-β-cyclodextrin (DM-β-CD) and randomly methylated β-cyclodextrin (RM-β-CD) exhibit different thermal behavior, different FTIR spectral and diffractometric profiles from those of the parent compounds, emphasizing the interaction between the components and the IC formation. CARV solubility increased 1.78 to 3.32 times as a result of drug complexation with CDs. Analytical data indicate a significant influence of both solvent systems and CD type on the IC solubility, highlighting the CARV/DM-β-CD IC as a promising entity for further research to obtain new formulations containing CARV with improved bioavailability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Carbohydrate Polymers in Drug Delivery)
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