Modified Hydrogel as a Carrier of Oral Insulin.

The effect of the structure of a mucoadhesive, insulin-containing, polymeric hydrogel on the rate of hormone release was studied. It has been shown that a decrease in the pore size of the hydrogel leads to an increase in the rate of insulin release, which contributes to a reduction in the time to achieve a positive effect upon oral administration of the drug while maintaining the physiological pathway of hormone penetration of the blood through the liver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]