Novel Mucoadhesive Strategy for Peptic Ulcer Disease: Formulating Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice into Gastroretentive Microspheres to Prolong Gastric Residence.

This study focused on the development and evaluation of Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice (DGL)-loaded mucoadhesive microspheres using chemical and heat stabilization methods. The microspheres were prepared with varying drug-topolymer ratios (1:1, 1:2, 1:3, and 1:4) to assess the impact of formulation parameters on encapsulation efficiency, swelling behavior, mucoadhesion, and drug release profiles. Chemical stabilization, employing glutaraldehyde as a cross-linking agent, produced formulations with superior physicochemical properties. Among the tested formulations, MFC1 emerged as the most optimized, exhibiting a high encapsulation efficiency (97.56%), favorable swelling index (0.98), and significant mucoadhesion (66.72%). In vitro drug release studies at pH 1.2 demonstrated its sustained release potential, achieving complete drug release (100.25%) over 12 hours. Scanning electron microscopy revealed a smooth, spherical morphology, contributing to uniform release kinetics. The results indicate that the chemical stabilization method is a robust approach for producing effective mucoadhesive microspheres, with MFC1 showing exceptional promise for gastric-targeted drug delivery. This work provides valuable insights into the formulation and characterization of sustained-release systems, offering a foundation for future advancements in drug delivery technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]