Table 2 Commonly used mucoadhesive materials and modifications
Material | Proposed mechanism of action | Possible modifications |
|---|---|---|
Chitosan | Electrostatic interactions with sialic acid groups | Quaternization (trimethyl chitosan), thiolation |
Carbomer | Hydrogen bonding with sialic acid and sulfate groups | Thiolation |
Alginate | Hydrogen bonding with sialic acid and sulfate groups | Thiolation |
Cellulose | Hydrogen bonding | Thiolation, derivatives (MC, EC, HEC, HPMC, CMC) |