An Overview on Nasal Drug Delivery System

Abstract

Nasal drug delivery has got a great deal of attention as a convenient, reliable and potential method for the systemic administration of drugs. It is specially for those molecules which are ineffective orally and only effective if given by injection. The nasal route of drug delivery has advantages over the other alternative systems of non-invasive drug administration. Nasal route is advantageous for the drugs which are unstable on oral administration as they are much degraded in GIT or else metabolized by first pass effect in liver. Nasal route is alternative to parenteral therapy and as well helpful for long term therapy. Nasal mucosa is greatly vascularised as well as mainly permeable giving fast absorption and onset of action. Nasal route is non invasive, extensively used for the local treatment might also be used for systemic therapy as drug directly goes in systemic circulation. Nasal route gives excellent absorption of small molecules, than that of large molecules can be augmented by absorption promoters. The present review presents information pertaining to nasal drug delivery system such as advantages, limitations, anatomy of nose, mechanism of drug absorption, barriers to drug absorption, factors influencing nasal drug absorption, strategies to improve nasal absorption, excipients used in nasal formulations, nasal formulations and their evaluation.