3 Advantages of Chitosan as Drug Delivery Systems

Chitosan has been marketed throughout the world as a component in non-medical products, as an approved food additive, and as a fat binder in cholesterol-lowering and slimming formulations [14]. It has been claimed that chitosan entraps lipids in the intestine, because of its cationic nature [15]. It has also been studied in the biomedical field and has been found to be highly biocompatible [16]. It is found that chitosan is metabolized by certain human enzymes, especially lysozyme, and is considered biodegradable [17]. Chitosan has also been approved by the authorities, and a monograph relating to chitosan hydrochloride was included in the fourth edition of the European Pharmacopoeia (2002).