Chitosan Based Self-assembled Nanoparticles in Drug Delivery

Abstract

Chitosan is a cationic polysaccharide usually obtained by alkaline deacetylation of chitin poly(N-acetylglucosamine). It is biocompatible, biodegradable, mucoadhesive and non-toxic. These excellent biological properties make chitosan a good candidate for a platform in developing drug delivery systems having improved biodistribution, increased specificity and sensitivity, and reduced pharmacological toxicity. In particular, chitosan nanoparticles are found to be appropriate for non-invasive routes of drug administration: oral, nasal, pulmonary and ocular routes. These applications are facilitated by the absorption-enhancing effect of chitosan. Many procedures for obtaining chitosan nanoparticles have been proposed. Particularly, the introduction of hydrophobic moieties into chitosan molecules by grafting to generate a hydrophobic-hydrophilic balance promoting self-assembly is a current and appealing approach. The grafting agent can be a hydrophobic moiety forming micelles that can entrap lipophilic drugs or it can be the drug itself. Another suitable way to generate self-assembled chitosan nanoparticles is through the formation of polyelectrolyte complexes with polyanions. This paper reviews the main approaches for preparing chitosan nanoparticles by self-assembly through both procedures and illustrates the state of the art of their application in drug delivery.

Effect of co-treatment with doxorubicin and verapamil loaded into chitosan nanoparticles on diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocellular carcinoma in mice

“…Cationic character of chitosan and its solubility in aqueous medium at acidic pH permit the incorporation and entrapment of negatively charged molecules. 23 The purpose of this study was to compare the adjuvant effect of both DOX/VRP chitosan nanoparticles (CHNPs) with their free forms in the treatment of HCC in mice and to investigate the possible mechanisms behind the potential favorable effect of cotreatment with DOX and VRP nanoparticles.…”

Co-delivery of doxorubicin and oleanolic acid by triple-sensitive nanocomposite based on chitosan for effective promoting tumor apoptosis

“…H6R6-CS-g-PNVCL was synthesized using the literature method with some modifications (Qian et al, 2019;Quinones, Peniche, & Peniche, 2018). The procedure was that we introduced the hydrophobic NVCL into CS molecules by RAFT reagent grafting to generate a hydrophobic-hydrophilic balance promoting the copolymer (CS-g-PNVCL) self-assembly, then hydrophilic H6R6 peptide was modified on the outermost surface of the copolymer.…”

Chitosan‐based multifunctional nanomedicines and theranostics for targeted therapy of cancer

“…Structurally, it is composed of d ‐glucosamine and N ‐acetyl‐ d ‐glucosamine units linked by β(1–4)‐glycosidic bonds. The existence of one amino and two hydroxyl groups in the repeated glycosidic units of CS enables its modification, resulting in desired properties for specific applications . Certain properties (e.g., cationic character, mucoadhesion, antimicrobial activity, in situ gelation) is due to the free amino groups of CS.…”

“…Certain properties (e.g., cationic character, mucoadhesion, antimicrobial activity, in situ gelation) is due to the free amino groups of CS. The lower toxicity of CS in comparison with other cationic polymers (e.g., polyethyleneimine, polyarginine, and polylysine) makes it a preferable polymer for many biomedical applications . In addition, the positive charge of CS makes it possible to target the negatively charged cell surface and receptors such as CD44 expressed by various cancer cells and cancer stem‐like cells (CSCs).…”