Formulation of Quaternized Aminated Chitosan Nanoparticles for Efficient Encapsulation and Slow Release of Curcumin

Abstract

An effective drug nanocarrier was developed on the basis of a quaternized aminated chitosan (Q-AmCs) derivative for the efficient encapsulation and slow release of the curcumin (Cur)-drug. A simple ionic gelation method was conducted to formulate Q-AmCs nanoparticles (NPs), using different ratios of sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) as an ionic crosslinker. Various characterization tools were employed to investigate the structure, surface morphology, and thermal properties of the formulated nanoparticles. The formulated Q-AmCs NPs displayed a smaller particle size of 162 ± 9.10 nm, and higher surface positive charges, with a maximum potential of +48.3 mV, compared to native aminated chitosan (AmCs) NPs (231 ± 7.14 nm, +32.8 mV). The Cur-drug encapsulation efficiency was greatly improved and reached a maximum value of 94.4 ± 0.91%, compared to 75.0 ± 1.13% for AmCs NPs. Moreover, the in vitro Cur-release profile was investigated under the conditions of simulated gastric fluid [SGF; pH 1.2] and simulated colon fluid [SCF; pH 7.4]. For Q-AmCs NPs, the Cur-release rate was meaningfully decreased, and recorded a cumulative release value of 54.0% at pH 7.4, compared to 73.0% for AmCs NPs. The formulated nanoparticles exhibited acceptable biocompatibility and biodegradability. These findings emphasize that Q-AmCs NPs have an outstanding potential for the delivery and slow release of anticancer drugs.

Formulation and Antibacterial Activity Evaluation of Quaternized Aminochitosan Membrane for Wound Dressing Applications

“…On the other hand, the observed absorption bands around 1016 cm −1 in the QAMCS spectra could be attributed to the stretching vibration of C–N in the quaternary ammonium groups. In addition, the peaks at around 1385–1393 cm −1 are associated with the C-H symmetric bending of the methyl groups in the generated quaternary ammonium groups [ 26 , 50 ]. Moreover, the peak intensities were amplified with the increase of the quaternization ratio in the membrane matrix, as evidence of the successful preparation process.…”

“…The quaternization process was conducted according to the authors’ reported study [ 26 ], with a minor modification. Briefly, AMCS (1 g) and NaI (4.8 g; as a catalyst) were placed in a 2-necked flask containing 80 mL of an N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone/acetic acid (1%) mixture.…”

“…Additionally, aminated chitosan (aminochitosan; AmCs) is an interesting chitosan derivative that has been developed by the authors’ previous work with extra amine groups [ 25 ]. Compared with neat CS biopolymer, AMCS derivative has demonstrated better biological properties, including biocompatibility and biodegradability [ 26 ]. However, the poor solubility of CS in most solvents at neutral and high pH significantly limits its usage.…”

Biomedical Applications of Quaternized Chitosan

“…The in vitro drug release study in various physiological media (simulate gastric fluid, pH = 1.2; and simulated colon fluid, pH = 7.4) exhibited controlled cumulative drug release in alkaline pH (74%). The NPs depicted acceptable biocompatibility and biodegradability that suggested potential use for cancer management [ 141 ]. Improved solubility of quaternized chitosan in variable pH ranges encourages versatile biomedical usage [ 142 ].…”

Hybrid Nanocomposite of Imidazolium Based Chitosan and Anderson-type Manganese Polyoxomolybdate for Boosting Drug Delivery Against Breast Cancer

“…Quaternized chitosans as cationic modified scaffolds have extraordinary features in drug delivery approaches. Omer et al (19) reported nanoparticles-based quaternized aminated chitosan for curcumin delivery. Another study was conducted by Yang et al (20) on N-[(2-Hydroxyl)-propyl-3-trimethyl ammonium chitosan chloride (HTCC) as a drug carrier for cyclosporine A. Trimethylated chitosan nanoparticles are the most common studied cationic modified chitosan with significant statistics of articles in the field of drug and gene delivery (21).…”