A review on colon targeted drug delivery

Colon specific drug delivery system has attracted considerable attention for the last few years in order to develop drug delivery system that are able to release drug specifically in the colon in predictable and reproducible manner. Colonic drug delivery has gained increased importance not just for delivery of drugs for the treatment of local disease associated with the colon like Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis etc. but also for the systemic delivery of proteins, therapeutic peptides, anti-asthmatic drug, anti-hypertensive drugs and anti-diabetic agents. Colon specific systems is most important delivery of those drug which are normally inactivated in the upper parts of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). To achieve successful colon targeted drug delivery, a drug need to be protected from degradation, release and absorption in upper portion of GI tract and then to be ensured abrupt or controlled release in the proximal colon. Colon targeting holds a great potential and still need more innovative work. This review article discusses need of colon targeted drug delivery, factors affecting targeted drug delivery, platform technologies for colon targeted drug delivery systems.