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Abstract:
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Nanoparticulate drug delivery systems provide wide opportunities for
solving problems associated with drug stability or disease states and create great
expectations in the area of drug delivery (Bosselmann & Williams, 2012).
Nanotechnology, in a simple way, explains the technology that deals with one
billionth of a meter scale (Ochekpe, et al., 2009). Fewer side effects, poor
bioavailability, absorption at intestine, solubility, specific delivery to site of action
with good pharmacological efficiency, slow release, degradation of drug and
effective therapeutic outcome, are the major challenges faced by most of the drug
delivery systems. To a great extent, biopolymer coated drug delivery systems
coupled with nanotechnology alleviate the major drawbacks of the common
delivery methods. Chitosan, deacetylated chitin, is a copolymer of β-(1, 4) linked
glucosamine (deacetylated unit) and N- acetyl glucosamine (acetylated unit)
(Radhakumary et al., 2005). Chitosan is biodegradable, non-toxic and bio
compatible. Owing to the removal of acetyl moieties that are present in the amine
functional groups of chitin, chitosan is readily soluble in aqueous acidic solution.
The solubilisation occurs through the protonation of amino groups on the C-2
position of D-glucosamine residues whereby polysaccharide is converted into
polycation in acidic media. Chitosan interacts with many active compounds due to
the presence of amine group in it. The presence of this active amine group in
chitosan was exploited for the interaction with the active molecules in the present
study. Nanoparticles of chitosan coupled drugs are utilized for drug delivery in
eye, brain, liver, cancer tissues, treatment of spinal cord injury and infections
(Sharma et al., 2007; Li, et a., 2009; Paolicelli et al., 2009; Cho et al., 2010). To
deliver drugs directly to the intended site of action and to improve
pharmacological efficiency by minimizing undesired side effects elsewhere in the
body and decrease the long-term use of many drugs, polymeric drug delivery
systems can be used (Thatte et al., 2005). |