Oral delivery systems for peptides and proteins: III. Application to insulin

Abstract

Insulin is an important therapeutic protein, generally administered subcutaneously due to the obstacles of oral delivery. A number of different methods have been explored to improve the low oral bioavailability of insulin, particularly in the last decade, namely protease inhibitors, absorption enhancers, chemical modification and the formulation approach which includes particulate systems, emulsions, targeting delivery systems and bioadhesive systems. Although an effective formulation for oral insulin delivery remains to be achieved, the results are encouraging. Microencapsulation has proven to be a promising method of choice, especially when using natural polymers.