Design of Chitosan and Its Water Soluble Derivatives-Based Drug Carriers with Polyelectrolyte Complexes

Abstract

Chitosan, the cationic polysaccharide derived from the natural polysaccharide chitin, has been studied as a biomaterial for more than two decades. As a polycationic polymer with favorable properties, it has been widely used to form polyelectrolyte complexes with polyanions for various applications in drug delivery fields. In recent years, a growing number of studies have been focused on the preparation of polyelectrolyte complexes based on chitosan and its water soluble derivatives. They have been considered well-suited as biomaterials for a number of vital drug carriers with targeted/controlled release profiles, e.g., films, capsules, microcapsules. In this work, an overview highlights not only the favorable properties of chitosan and its water soluble derivatives but also the good performance of the polyelectrolyte complexes produced based on chitosan. Their various types of applications as drug carriers are reviewed in detail.

In Vitro Chitosan Hydrogel Based Tetracycline Cytotoxicity Test on Fibroblast Viability

“…Additionally, its soft character allows for low irritation and mechanical friction on living tissues [15,16,17]. Having all these qualities, hydrogel is suited for use as a macromolecular vehicle in medical applications [18].…”

Chitosan Microspheres as Carriers for pH‐Indicating Species in Corrosion Sensing

“…The assumption that a total release is obtained when performing studies in alkaline conditions is based on the solubility and swelling of the chitosan microspheres . Although chitosan itself is only soluble at low pH, chitosan microspheres are made of chitosan acid salts (more specifically acetate salts since chitosan is dissolved in acetic acid, before spray drying) and these are known to be water soluble, which may contribute to a higher swelling and dissolution, allowing the complete release of the pH indicator dyes present in the particles. Additionally, the fact that a higher release is observed under high pH conditions is in accordance with the solubility of the pH indicators in the different solvents tested, which was proven to be higher at pH 10 buffered solution than at pH 4 or 0.05 m NaCl.…”

Polyelectrolyte complex containing silver nanoparticles with antitumor property on Caco-2 colon cancer cells

“…On the other hand, the sodium alginate (ALG) is an anionic polysaccharide which can easily interact with CS and TMC for form polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) via electrostatic interactions and intermolecular/intramolecular secondary forces [7]. PECs have received much attention in the last years, since they are used for the preparation of drug carriers and tissue engineering scaffolds [8,9].…”