Chitosan/“angico” gum nanoparticles: Synthesis and characterization

Odor Fingerprinting of Chitosan and Source Identification of Commercial Chitosan: HS-GC-IMS, Multivariate Statistical Analysis, and Tracing Path Study

Chitosan samples were prepared from the shells of marine animals (crab and shrimp) and the cell walls of fungi (agaricus bisporus and aspergillus niger). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) was used to detect their molecular structures, while headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) was employed to analyze their odor composition. A total of 220 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including esters, ketones, aldehydes, etc., were identified as the odor fingerprinting components of chitosan for the first time. A principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that chitosan could be effectively identified and classified based on its characteristic VOCs. The sum of the first three principal components explained 87% of the total variance in original information. An orthogonal partial least squares discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA) model was established for tracing and source identification purposes, demonstrating excellent performance with fitting indices R2X = 0.866, R2Y = 0.996, Q2 = 0.989 for independent variable fitting and model prediction accuracy, respectively. By utilizing OPLS-DA modeling along with a heatmap-based tracing path study, it was found that 29 VOCs significantly contributed to marine chitosan at a significance level of VIP > 1.00 (p < 0.05), whereas another set of 20 VOCs specifically associated with fungi chitosan exhibited notable contributions to its odor profile. These findings present a novel method for identifying commercial chitosan sources, which can be applied to ensure biological safety in practical applications.

Eco-friendly synthesis of phthalate angico gum towards nanoparticles engineering using Quality by Design (QbD) approach

We developed a new hydrophobic polymer based on angico gum (AG), and we produced new nanoparticles to expand the applications of natural polysaccharides in nanomedicine. Phthalate angico gum (PAG) was characterized by ¹H NMR, FTIR, elementary analysis, solubility, XRD, and TG. PAG was a hydrophobic and semi-crystalline material, a relevant characteristic for drug delivery system applications. As a proof of concept, nevirapine (NVP) was selected for nanoparticles development. Plackett-Burman's experimental design was used to understand the influence of several factors in nanoparticles production. PAG proved to be a versatile material for producing nanoparticles with different characteristics. Optimized nanoparticles were produced using desirability parameters. NVP-loaded PAG nanoparticles formulation showed 202.1 nm of particle size, 0.23 of PDI, -17.1 of zeta potential, 69.8 of encapsulation efficiency, and promoted modified drug release for 8 h. Here we show that PAG presents as a promising biopolymer for drug delivery systems.

Chitosan/Sterculia striata polysaccharides nanocomplex as a potential chloroquine drug release device

Nanoparticles are produced by means of polyelectrolyte complexation (PEC) of oppositely charged polycationic chitosan (CH) with polyanionic polysaccharide extracted from Sterculia striata exudates (rhamnogalacturonoglycan (RG)-type polysaccharide). The nanoparticles formed with low-molar-mass CH are larger than those formed with high-molar-mass CH. This behavior is in contrast with that previously observed for other systems and may be attributed to different mechanisms related to the association of CH with RG of higher persistence length chain than that of CH. Nanoparticles harnessed with a charge ratio (n(+)/n(-)) of <1 are smaller than particles with an excess of polycations. Particles with hydrodynamic sizes smaller than 100nm are achieved using a polyelectrolyte concentration of 10(-4)gmL(-1) and charge ratio (n(+)/n(-)) of <1. The CH/RG nanoparticles are associated with chloroquine (CQ) with an efficiency of 28% and release it for up to ∼60% within ∼10h, whereas in the latter, only ∼40% of the CQ was released after 24h. The main factor that influenced drug release rate is the nanoparticle charge ratio.

Chitosan based polyelectrolyte complexes as potential carrier materials in drug delivery systems

Chitosan has been the subject of interest for its use as a polymeric drug carrier material in dosage form design due to its appealing properties such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, low toxicity and relatively low production cost from abundant natural sources. However, one drawback of using this natural polysaccharide in modified release dosage forms for oral administration is its fast dissolution rate in the stomach. Since chitosan is positively charged at low pH values (below its pK(a) value), it spontaneously associates with negatively charged polyions in solution to form polyelectrolyte complexes. These chitosan based polyelectrolyte complexes exhibit favourable physicochemical properties with preservation of chitosan's biocompatible characteristics. These complexes are therefore good candidate excipient materials for the design of different types of dosage forms. It is the aim of this review to describe complexation of chitosan with selected natural and synthetic polyanions and to indicate some of the factors that influence the formation and stability of these polyelectrolyte complexes. Furthermore, recent investigations into the use of these complexes as excipients in drug delivery systems such as nano- and microparticles, beads, fibers, sponges and matrix type tablets are briefly described.