Objective. The main objective of the present investigation was to develop and optimize oral sustained release Chitosan nanoparticles (CNs) of rifampicin by design of experiment (DOE). Methodology. CNs were prepared by modified emulsion ionic gelation technique. Here, inclusion of hydrophobic drug moiety in the hydrophilic matrix of polymer is applied for rifampicin delivery using CN. The 23 full-factorial design was employed by selecting the independent variables such as Chitosan concentration (X 1), concentration of tripolyphosphate (X 2), and homogenization speed (X 3) in order to achieve desired particle size with maximum percent entrapment efficiency and drug loading. The design was validated by checkpoint analysis, and formulation was optimized using the desirability function. Results. Particle size, drug entrapment efficiency, and drug loading for the optimized batch were found to be 221.9 nm, 44.17 ± 1.98% W/W, and 42.96 ± 2.91% W/W, respectively. In vitro release data of optimized formulation showed an initial burst followed by slow sustained drug release. Kinetic drug release from CNs was best fitted to Higuchi model. Conclusion. Design of Experiment is an important tool for obtaining desired characteristics of rifampicin loaded CNs. In vitro study suggests that oral sustained release CNs might be an effective drug delivery system for tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infectious disease with increasing incidence of drug resistance. Oral treatment for TB and multidrug resistance-TB can have serious side effects. The causative agent of TB, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, resides in alveolar macrophages (AMs). Pulmonary administration of antitubercular (anti-TB) antibiotic can help in delivery of high concentration to AM. The ability of AM to phagocytose can also be utilized to generate mycobactericidal nitric oxide (NO) to improve efficacy of anti-TB antibiotics. The objective in this investigation was made to prepare isoniazid microparticles (IM) and polymeric microparticles of isoniazid (INH-PM) using poly-ε-caprolactone as polymer and to evaluate in vitro through cell culture techniques and in vivo through pulmonary administration of IM and INH-PM for uptake of isoniazid by AM. The hepatotoxicity was determined through serum glutamate oxaloacetate transferase (SGOT) and serum glutamate pyruvate transferase (SGPT) levels and histological examination. The results depicted that the significantly higher (P<0.05) concentration of isoniazid was found in AM with INH-PM in vitro and in vivo. NO production was also significantly higher but less than toxic level. SGOT and SGPT levels, uptake of INH by liver and histological examination were indicative of no hepatotoxicity with INH-PM and IM. Phagocytosis of IM and INH-PM leads to significantly higher drug level in AM as well as production of significantly higher levels of NO without compromising the viability of cells. The administration of IM and INH-PM as dry powder inhalation formulation may reduce the treatment time of TB and chances of drug-resistant TB.

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