Unveiling the potential of microsponges: Enhancing oral bioavailability

Oral medication administration is widely recognized as the most practical and widely used method. Medications with a short half-life and easy absorption in the gastrointestinal tract are quickly removed by the bloodstream. To avoid these issues, oral controlled-release formulations have been created. There are a ton of novel formulation approaches in the realm of medication delivery systems. One new novel approach that is becoming increasingly well-liked these days is the usage of microsponges. A wide variety of active chemicals can be entrapped by the highly cross-linked, porous, polymeric structure that makes up the Microsponges Delivery System (MDS). Various polymers like ethyl cellulose, polystyrene, etc., have been utilized in forming microsponges and these active microsponges can be incorporated into formulations, such as capsules, gel, and powders, and have a broad package of benefits. The microsponges have satisfactory stability over pH values ranging from 1 to 11, they exhibit reasonable stability at temperatures as high as 130, and entrapment efficiency is great, reaching 50–60%. The preparation of microsponges involves the Quasi-emulsion solvent method, and the emulsion solvent diffusion method the release of drug through microsponges increases with increasing drug-polymer ratio and lowering polymer wall thickness. The microsponges are characterized for visual characterization, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, and drug content. This review is focused on their advantages over other dosage forms, methods of preparation, characterization, and application of microsponges.