Captopril is a well-established drug used to treat hypertension and heart failure. However, conventional oral administration presents several challenges: although the drug is highly water-soluble, its ability to cross biological membranes is limited, it may be unstable in the gastrointestinal tract, and part of the absorbed dose is metabolized in the liver. Researchers from the Universities of Szeged and Debrecen therefore investigated an alternative approach: mucoadhesive chitosan films designed to deliver captopril through the buccal mucosa.

Osteoarthritis is one of the most common degenerative joint diseases. It is characterized by progressive cartilage degradation, pain, restricted mobility, and increasing impairment in everyday life. A particular challenge is that articular cartilage has only a limited capacity for regeneration and structural damage frequently continues to worsen.