Chitosan- and glycol-chitosan thiol conjugates have been developed, in order to realize nanocarriers which can be useful in the transmucosal drug delivery. The aim of the study is to compare the mucoadhesive properties of the two classes of conjugates. Indeed, the presence of thiol groups on the polymer surface is expected both to increase the interaction with the mucin and to promote the absorption of the delivered drugs. Glutathione and N-acetylcysteine have been chosen to synthesize new thiol-derivatives of glycol chitosan to be compared to the analogous chitosan derivatives (1) in terms of mucoadhesion properties. All the conjugates have been formulated as promising nanoparticles (NPs) for drug delivery. In the present contribution, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has been performed to analyze the surface chemical composition of both the synthesized polymers and the resulting NPs. The preliminary investigations showed the presence of sulphur on the NPs outer shell thus encouraging the eventual surface mucoadhesive properties of the nanocarriers. Further work is in progress to localize the in-depth distribution (2), once the nanocarriers have been loaded with a model drug.
XPS characterization of chitosan-based nanoparticles for drug-delivery applications
DITARANTO, NICOLETTA;TRAPANI, ADRIANA;CIOFFI, NICOLA;SABBATINI, Luigia
2012-01-01
Abstract
Chitosan- and glycol-chitosan thiol conjugates have been developed, in order to realize nanocarriers which can be useful in the transmucosal drug delivery. The aim of the study is to compare the mucoadhesive properties of the two classes of conjugates. Indeed, the presence of thiol groups on the polymer surface is expected both to increase the interaction with the mucin and to promote the absorption of the delivered drugs. Glutathione and N-acetylcysteine have been chosen to synthesize new thiol-derivatives of glycol chitosan to be compared to the analogous chitosan derivatives (1) in terms of mucoadhesion properties. All the conjugates have been formulated as promising nanoparticles (NPs) for drug delivery. In the present contribution, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has been performed to analyze the surface chemical composition of both the synthesized polymers and the resulting NPs. The preliminary investigations showed the presence of sulphur on the NPs outer shell thus encouraging the eventual surface mucoadhesive properties of the nanocarriers. Further work is in progress to localize the in-depth distribution (2), once the nanocarriers have been loaded with a model drug.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
