A Review on Colon Specific Drug Delivery Systems: Novel Approach in Pharmaceutical Perspective

The objective of the current article is to study on colon specific delivery systems and those factors affecting for effective delivery of drug candidates into the targeted sites for desired pharmacological actions. Colon has proven to be a region where topical, local and systemic absorption of drug candidates can take place in an effective manner. It follows oral route that are preferred as per patient compliance factors along with reduced systemic side effects. This route is found preferred over the uncomfortable rectal route of drug administration, where having lesser patient compliances factors. Various factors affecting the colon delivery are Anatomy and physiology of colon, Colonic pH, colonic flora, GI transit time, fluid volumes, formulation factors etc. Colon specific delivery approach allows for targeting of drug(s) directly into the desired site of actions for management of diseases viz., colonic cancer, amebiosis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, etc. Drug targeting using matrix or reservoir based delivery systems are possible into the colon directly due to reason that those delivery system are capable of protecting itself from assaults of acidic medium of stomach and alkaline medium of small intestinal of upper GI tract.