Mucoadhesion Test Lab Report

3.1 Ex-vivo Evaluation of the Mucoadhesiveness of Synbiotics
Mucoadhesive properties prolong the retention time of the bead’s dose in the targeted site the colon [23], [50]. Since the dose is intended to colonic release, mucoadhesion parameters play a key role in the efficiency of the form. The beads remain longer in contact with colonic mucosa when they have more mucoadhesive property. As a result the probiotics will have enough time to get released from beads and colonize the colon [37], [51]. It is therefore judicious to consider formulas with high mucoadhesion to colonic tissues, to have prolonged duration of action and enhanced efficiency which help in reducing the dosing frequency. Figure 3 shows the mucoadhesiveness properties of different types of beads on jejunal [A] and colonic mucosa [B]. Generally the mucoadhesion strength decreases with time, regardless of the mucosal type or bead type. In the case of jejunal mucosa [A] no significant differences were observed between
After 5 min, mucoadhesion strength of (A) beads dramatically decreased and it reached 0% at 60 min However, the mucoadhesion strength of AI5 and AI20 beads was significantly higher than the alginate beads and reached zero after 45 min and 120 min for the IA20 and IA5 formulas, respectively. Similar to jejunal mucosa, AI20 beads were completely dissolved at 45 minutes. Between 5 and 45 min no significant differences were observed between AI5 and AI20. Overall, mucoadhesion strength decreases faster for jejunal mucosa than for colonic one. This can be explained by the thickness of the mucin layer, which is generally 5 to 10 times thicker in the colon relative to the jejunum [52],[53]. It is also noted that the addition of inulin significantly increased mucoadhesion. However, mucoadhesion strength was not affected by the inulin