This paper describes the development and in vitro evaluation of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles coated with chitosan (CS) for oral delivery of ferulic acid (FA). Nanoparticles were obtained by an emulsion evaporation technique and characterized. Furthermore, we evaluated the scavenging activity over hypochlorous acid (HOCl), the cytotoxicity over tumour cells and the in vitro intestinal permeability. Nanoparticles were spherical with a mean diameter of 242 nm, positive zeta potential and 50% of encapsulation efficiency. The in vitro release in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) (pH 7.4) demonstrated a prolonged and biphasic profile diffusion-controlled. In simulated gastrointestinal fluids, about 15% of FA was released in gastric fluid and a negligible release was observed in the intestinal fluid. In the HOCl scavenging activity and cytotoxicity over B16-F10 and HeLa cells, FA-loaded nanoparticles presented the same efficacy of the free drug. Besides, in the antioxidant and cytotoxic assay, CS contributed to FA effects. In the intestinal permeability study, FA-loaded nanoparticles exhibited a permeation of 6% through the Caco-2 monolayer and 20% through the Caco-2/HT29-MTX/Raji B co-culture. CS-coated PLGA nanoparticles are promising carriers for oral delivery of FA.

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Polymeric nanoparticles have received great attention as potential controlled drug delivery systems. Biodegradable polymers has been extensively used in the development of these drug carriers, and the polyesters such as polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid and their copolymers as poly-lactide-co-glycolide are the most used, considering its biocompatibility and biodegradability. Thermal analysis techniques have been used for pharmaceutical substances for more than 30 years and are routine methods for screening drugexcipient interactions. The aim of this work is to use thermal analysis to characterize PLGA nanoparticles containing a hydrophobic drug, praziquantel. The results show that the drug is in an amorphous INTRODUCTIONNanoparticles are considered one of the most promising dosage forms as potential formulations for sitespecific drug delivery system including drug targeting (Mainardes, Silva, 2004;Hans, Lowman, 2002). Colloidal polymeric particles used as drug carriers can be made of artificial or natural polymers, which must be biocompatible (Soppimath et al., 2001; Gorner et al., 1999). In the past two decades, many works have been carried out in order to apply biocompatible and/or biodegradable polymers in drug delivery systems (Jain, 2000).Nanoparticles are a collective name for nanospheres and nanocapsules. Nanospheres have a matrix type structure, where active compounds can be adsorbed on their surface, entrapped or dissolved into the matrix. Nanocapsules have a polymeric shell and an inner core. In this case, the active substances are usually dissolved in the core, but may also be adsorbed on their surface (Allemann et al., 1998;Panyam, Labhasetwar, 2003).Although a number of different polymers have been investigated for formulating biodegradable nanoparticles, polymers of poly(L-lactic-acid) (PLA) and their copolymers with glycolic acid (PLGA) have been extensively used in controlled drug delivery systems. The lactide/glycolide polymers chains are cleaved by hydrolysis to form natural metabolites (lactic and glycolic acids), which are eliminated from the body through the citric acid cycle. PLGA provides a wide range of degradation rates, from months to years, depending on its composition and molecular weight (Mainardes, Evangelista, 2005;Uhrich et al., 1999;Vert et al., 1998;Anderson, Shive, 1997;Burkersroda et al., 2002).Aliphatic polyesters are polymers of the poly(α-hidroxy) acids class, one of the polymers families more attractive and promising, because their members are biocompatible and bioresorbable and could be used in several applications in the medicinal area (Iannace et al., 1994). The presence of the ester linkage makes these polymers hydrolytically unstable, this means that they can be degraded when in contact with the corporal fluids, resulting in products that are reabsorbed by the organism, as part of the carbohydrates metabolism (Beiser, Kanat, 1990). In the last years, the biodegradable polymers have gained a growing importance in the medical area. They have been used in a wide number ...

These results point to RVT-loaded poly(lactide)-nanoparticles coated with PS80 a promising nanomedical tool and adjuvant therapy for PD.

Although it is well-established that nanotech-based drug-delivery systems improve existing therapeutics in medicine, its application in viral diseases is underexplored and underused "