Lipid nanocapsule-chitosan and iota-carrageenan hydrogel composite for sustained hydrophobic drug delivery.

ABSTRACT: Hydrophobic drug delivery via oral routes presents significant challenges for clinical translation, particularly for poorly soluble antiviral drugs. Physiological barriers, such as enzymatic degradation, harsh pH, and rapid transit in the gastrointestinal tract, or mucociliary clearance and alveolar macrophage uptake in the lungs, can severely limit therapeutic efficacy. To address these challenges, we developed a novel lipid nanocapsule (LNC) and chitosan/iota-carrageenan hydrogel composite tailored for sustained delivery of hydrophobic antiviral agents. A rational, data-driven approach was employed, using Design-Expert software to construct an I-optimal mixture design for hydrogel composition optimization and a customized D-optimal design for EFV encapsulation modeling. These predictive

SUBMITTER: Mukubwa GK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12660326 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature