Design, characterization, and biological evaluation of Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide oral dispersion for gastric ulcer management

Besides the advanced treatment options, gastric ulcer (GU) is one of the most worrying gastrointestinal (GI) ailments. Most of the time, GU is marked by constant, painful swelling in the upper abdomen caused by the body's own harmful and helpful substances in the digestive tract (GIT). A natural Dendrobium officinale polysaccharide (DOP) has potential anti-inflammatory and gastric strengthening effects, but low permeation and reduced bioavailability are always the major concerns. We designed, characterized, and evaluated the biological performance of DOP-loaded Poly(vinyl)-pyrrolidone nanoparticle’s (DOP/NPs) oral dispersion for GU’s management. The DOP/NPs dispersion design was characterized for physicochemical properties like chemical bonding (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, FTIR), crystallinity (X-ray diffraction, XRD), and thermal stability (differential scanning calorimetry, DSC, and thermogravimetric analysis, TGA). The lyophilized DOP/NPs dispersion displayed excellent physicochemical properties. The DOP/NPs dispersion was evaluated for in vitro permeation and cytotoxicity using Caco2 cell lines. Significant transportation through the Caco2 cell monolayer was found for DOP/NPs dispersion with negligible cytotoxicity. An enhanced muco-adhesion was found for DOP/NPs dispersion, and DOP/NPs dispersion improved the bioavailability and anti-ulcer efficiency. The oxidative parameters revealed the elimination of oxidative stresses by DOP/NPs dispersion. The histopathology and liver functional tests exposed excellent biocompatibility and systemic safety. The designed oral dispersion might be helpful in the GUs management without significant harmful effects.