Do the chitosan nanoparticles really augment the drugs’ transdermal fluxes: ending the debate using meta-analysis

ABSTRACT

Introduction

Transdermal delivery has been extensively investigated as a successful alternative to the oral and parenteral routes of administration. The use of polymeric nanoparticles as drug delivery systems through this route has always been controversial. The use of meta-analyses is a useful quantitative means to decide upon the efficiency of this type of vehicles transporting drugs through the skin.

Areas Covered

In this meta-analysis study, polymeric nanoparticles were quantitatively compared to conventional formulations in order to investigate the feasibility of using these particles in transdermal delivery. Natural versus synthetic polymeric sub-groups were also contrasted to determine the most efficient class for transdermal drug enhancement.

Expert opinion

Meta-analyses are gaining ground in the drug delivery field as they can exploit the mines of the literature and pick up by statistical evidence the superior formulations administered through several routes of administration. This is the first study that utilized the transdermal fluxes as the meta-analysis study effect and could prove the superiority of natural polymeric nanoparticles in transdermal delivery. In our opinion, there is paucity in research work regarding this type of nanocarriers, specifically on chitosan nanoparticles. More studies are warranted for full exploitation of its benefits.

KEYWORDS:

• Polymers
• transdermal
• nanoparticles
• drug delivery
• chitosan

Author contributions

RM Hathout was responsible for conceptualization, methodology, analysis, validation, investigation, software, resources, data curation, writing – original draft preparation, writing – review and editing, visualization, and interpretations; RA Ishak was responsible for methodology, resources, validation, and editing; DH Shakhak was responsible for methodology, investigation, resources, visualization, and editing of the manuscript.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership, or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. Dina Kassem, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, for her help with the Biorender figures.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.