Pharmacophore an International Research Journal
This review article focuses on providing updated information about targeting the nasal mucosa for drug delivery. The oral route is most desirable and convenient route for drug administration and tablets, capsules are the most favored dosage forms. However, although the oral route remains the most popular for systemic drug administration, low oral bioavailability of some compounds has prompted the search of more effective routes for their systemic delivery. The anatomy and physiology of the nasal region have been discussed, followed by a discussion of the factors and barriers affecting the drug absorption, strategies to improve the drug absorption, various excipients employed in nasal formulations, different types of nasal formulations and applications of nasal delivery. Nasal route is alternative to parenteral therapy and also useful for long term therapy. Nasal mucosa is highly vascularized and most permeable giving rapid absorption and onset of action. Nasal route is noninvasive, widely used for the local treatment may also be used for systemic therapy as drug directly goes in systemic circulation. Nasal route gives good absorption of small molecules, than that of large molecules can be increased by absorption promoters. Therefore, the aim of this review article is to discuss the various pharmaceutical dosage forms that have the potential to be utilised for local or systemic drug administration. It is intuitively expected that this review will help to understand and further to develop suitable intra-nasal formulations to achieve specific therapeutic objectives.
