Effect of mucosal hydration on time-dependent mucoadhesion of polymeric nanocomposite microspheres to ovine nasal mucosa: relationship to swelling kinetics
- 1Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Social Pharmacy, Medical University Pleven
- 2Department of Biomedical Sciences, Medical University Pleven
Abstract
Background: Mucoadhesion of hydrophilic polymeric carriers is strongly influenced by hydration, which promotes polymer-chain mobility and facilitates interactions with mucin. However, excessive hydration may compromise the mechanical integrity of the adhesive interface. This study investigated the temporal relationship between swelling kinetics and nasal mucoadhesion of polymeric nanocomposite microsphere systems under different mucosal hydration conditions.
Methods: Two polymeric nanocomposite microsphere systems, IDB-MS and DFP-MS, were evaluated for swelling over 40 min using standardized compacted microsphere discs and for adhesion to excised ovine nasal mucosa under native/quasi-dry and highly hydrated conditions. Adhesion tension was determined over contact times ranging from 1 to 25 min. The effects of formulation and time on swelling and those of formulation, mucosal hydration, and contact time on adhesion tension were evaluated using factorial ANOVA.
Results: Both systems showed comparable swelling kinetics, reaching their maximum experimentally observed swelling at 5 min (465.96% for IDB-MS and 470.00% for DFP-MS), with no significant main effect of formulation. Mucoadhesion was strongly affected by mucosal hydration and contact time, whereas formulation had no significant main effect. Adhesion tension was consistently higher under native/quasi-dry than under highly hydrated mucosal conditions. Spline interpolation estimated the time of maximum adhesion at approximately 4.0–4.5 min, whereas the highest experimentally measured adhesion tension occurred at the 5-min sampling point. However, the post-maximum decline in adhesion preceded the corresponding decrease in apparent swelling, particularly under highly hydrated conditions.
Conclusion: Polymer swelling and mucoadhesion showed condition-dependent temporal correspondence, but swelling alone was insufficient to explain adhesive strength. The results support the hypothesis that mucoadhesion may depend on a balance between sufficient polymer hydration and preservation of interfacial cohesion; however, the present comparison of two hydration conditions does not establish an optimal hydration level. Mucosal hydration should therefore be considered an important experimental parameter in the evaluation of nasal mucoadhesive drug-delivery systems.
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BibTeX
@article{pilicheva2026effect,
title = {{Effect of mucosal hydration on time-dependent mucoadhesion of polymeric nanocomposite microspheres to ovine nasal mucosa: relationship to swelling kinetics}},
author = {Bissera Pilicheva and Plamen Zagorchev},
journal = {Frontiers in Pharmacology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fphar.2026.1974769},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1974769/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Effect of mucosal hydration on time-dependent mucoadhesion of polymeric nanocomposite microspheres to ovine nasal mucosa: relationship to swelling kinetics
AU - Bissera Pilicheva
AU - Plamen Zagorchev
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/14
JO - Frontiers in Pharmacology
DO - 10.3389/fphar.2026.1974769
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2026.1974769/full
AB - Background: Mucoadhesion of hydrophilic polymeric carriers is strongly influenced by hydration, which promotes polymer-chain mobility and facilitates interactions with mucin. However, excessive hydration may compromise the mechanical integrity of the adhesive interface. This study investigated the temporal relationship between swelling kinetics and nasal mucoadhesion of polymeric nanocomposite microsphere systems under different mucosal hydration conditions. Methods: Two polymeric nanocomposite microsphere systems, IDB-MS and DFP-MS, were evaluated for swelling over 40 min using standardized compacted microsphere discs and for adhesion to excised ovine nasal mucosa under native/quasi-dry and highly hydrated conditions. Adhesion tension was determined over contact times ranging from 1 to 25 min. The effects of formulation and time on swelling and those of formulation, mucosal hydration, and contact time on adhesion tension were evaluated using factorial ANOVA. Results: Both systems showed comparable swelling kinetics, reaching their maximum experimentally observed swelling at 5 min (465.96% for IDB-MS and 470.00% for DFP-MS), with no significant main effect of formulation. Mucoadhesion was strongly affected by mucosal hydration and contact time, whereas formulation had no significant main effect. Adhesion tension was consistently higher under native/quasi-dry than under highly hydrated mucosal conditions. Spline interpolation estimated the time of maximum adhesion at approximately 4.0–4.5 min, whereas the highest experimentally measured adhesion tension occurred at the 5-min sampling point. However, the post-maximum decline in adhesion preceded the corresponding decrease in apparent swelling, particularly under highly hydrated conditions. Conclusion: Polymer swelling and mucoadhesion showed condition-dependent temporal correspondence, but swelling alone was insufficient to explain adhesive strength. The results support the hypothesis that mucoadhesion may depend on a balance between sufficient polymer hydration and preservation of interfacial cohesion; however, the present comparison of two hydration conditions does not establish an optimal hydration level. Mucosal hydration should therefore be considered an important experimental parameter in the evaluation of nasal mucoadhesive drug-delivery systems.
SN - 1663-9812
ER -