Nasal In-situ Gel: An Approach to Enhance Therapeutic Benefits of the Drug

Objective: Drug delivery through the nasal route is emerging as a promising approach due to its capability to transport the drug to the systemic circulation and the central nervous system for therapeutic benefits. Methods: In-situ gelling formulations comprising polymeric substances are emerging as preferential nasal drug delivery systems. When exposed to biological stimuli, they have the ability to undergo a solgel conversion. Result: Such mucoadhesive in-situ gel formulations designed and developed for the nasal administration have the ability to prolong the residence time of formulation in the nasal cavity, thereby serving better for complete uptake of the drug across the nasal mucosa. Conclusion: Thus, this review focuses on temperature-responsive, pH-responsive and ion responsive polymers utilized in the nasal in-situ gels together with their physicochemical characterization, evaluation and pharmaceutical applications.