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Review
. 2016 Jan 28:10:483-507.
doi: 10.2147/DDDT.S99651. eCollection 2016.

Preparation, characterization, and potential application of chitosan, chitosan derivatives, and chitosan metal nanoparticles in pharmaceutical drug delivery

Tarek A Ahmed  1 , Bader M Aljaeid  2
Affiliations
Review

Preparation, characterization, and potential application of chitosan, chitosan derivatives, and chitosan metal nanoparticles in pharmaceutical drug delivery

Tarek A Ahmed et al. Drug Des Devel Ther. .

Abstract

Naturally occurring polymers, particularly of the polysaccharide type, have been used pharmaceutically for the delivery of a wide variety of therapeutic agents. Chitosan, the second abundant naturally occurring polysaccharide next to cellulose, is a biocompatible and biodegradable mucoadhesive polymer that has been extensively used in the preparation of micro-as well as nanoparticles. The prepared particles have been exploited as a potential carrier for different therapeutic agents such as peptides, proteins, vaccines, DNA, and drugs for parenteral and nonparenteral administration. Therapeutic agent-loaded chitosan micro- or nanoparticles were found to be more stable, permeable, and bioactive. In this review, we are highlighting the different methods of preparation and characterization of chitosan micro- and nanoparticles, while reviewing the pharmaceutical applications of these particles in drug delivery. Moreover, the roles of chitosan derivatives and chitosan metal nanoparticles in drug delivery have been illustrated.

Keywords: characterization; microparticles; nanoparticles; pharmaceutical application; preparation.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chemical structure of chitosan showing the repeating subunits.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Schematic representation of production of chitosan micro/nanoparticles by chemical cross-linking.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Scanning electron micrograph of chitosan nanoparticles produced using nanoemulsion internal cross-linking technique.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Schematic representation of the spray-drying technique used for the manufacturing of chitosan particulate systems.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Schematic representation of reverse micellar technique.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Structure of the skin and subcutaneous layers and common routes of parenteral drug administration.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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