Exploiting drug delivery systems for oral route in the peptic ulcer disease treatment

Abstract

Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) is a common condition that is induced by acid and pepsin causing lesions in the mucosa of the duodenum and stomach. The pathogenesis of PUD is a many-sided scenario, which involves an imbalance between protective factors, such as prostaglandins, blood flow, and cell renewal, and aggressive ones, like alcohol abuse, smoking, Helicobacter pylori colonisation, and the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The standard oral treatment is well established; however, several problems can decrease the success of this therapy, such as drug degradation in the gastric environment, low oral bioavailability, and lack of vectorisation to the target site. In this way, the use of strategies to improve the effectiveness of these conventional drugs becomes interesting. Currently, the use of drug delivery systems is being explored as an option to improve the drug therapy limitations, such as antimicrobial resistance, low bioavailability, molecule degradation in an acid environment, and low concentration of the drug at the site of action. This article provides a review of oral drug delivery systems looking for improving the treatment of PUD.

Keywords:

• Peptic ulcer disease
• drug delivery system
• Helicobacter pylori
• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• microparticles
• nanoparticles
• microemulsion

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by [grant no. 2019/09597-6] from São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) to LS and financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES) – Finance Code 001. FAPESP and CAPES had no further role in the literature review, in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to submit the paper for publication.