Management of oral biofilms by nisin delivery in adhesive microdevices.

Numerous beneficial microbes thrive in the oral cavity where they form biofilms on dental and mucosal surfaces to get access to nutrients, and to avoid being carried away with the saliva. However, biofilm formation is also a virulence factor as it also protects pathogenic bacteria, providing them with an environment for proliferation causing oral infections. Oral hygiene relies on mechanical removal of biofilms.

Investigation of Mucoadhesion and Degradation of PCL and PLGA Microcontainers for Oral Drug Delivery.

Microfabricated devices have been introduced as a promising approach to overcome some of the challenges related to oral administration of drugs and, thereby, improve their oral bioavailability. In this study, we fabricate biodegradable microcontainers with different polymers, namely poly-ɛ-caprolactone (PCL), poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) 50:50 and PLGA 75:25 by hot punching. The mucoadhesion of the microcontainers is assessed with an retention model on porcine intestinal tissue.

Ex vivo intestinal perfusion model for investigating mucoadhesion of microcontainers.

Micro fabricated delivery systems have shown promise in increasing oral bioavailability of drugs. Micrometer-sized polymeric devices (microcontainers) have the potential to facilitate unidirectional drug release directly into the intestinal mucosa whereby, drug absorption can be enhanced. The aim of this study was to develop an ex vivo model to investigate mucosal adhesion and orientation of microcontainers.

Mucin dispersions as a model for the oromucosal mucus layer in in vitro and ex vivo buccal permeability studies of small molecules.

The mucus layer is believed to play a part in drug permeation across the oral mucosa. Human freeze-dried saliva (HFDS) and porcine gastric mucin (PGM) was evaluated as model for mucus layer per se or in conjunction with in vitro and ex vivo buccal permeability models. Four small molecules (nicotine, mannitol, propranolol, caffeine) showed decreased permeability across mucin dispersions, compared to controls, and a greater effect was seen with HFDS than with PGM.