Docetaxel loaded chitosan nanoparticles: Formulation, characterization and cytotoxicity studies

• Docetaxel loaded chitosan nanoparticles prepared by w/o nanoemulsion method.
• Spherically shaped nanoparticles with an average size of 170–227 nm.
• Nanoparticles released 68–83% of drug following Higuchi's square root kinetics.
• An increase of 20% MDA-MB-231 cell line growth inhibition by nanoparticles.

The primary objective of the present investigation was to explore biodegradable chitosan as a polymeric material for formulating docetaxel nanoparticles (DTX-NPs) to be used as a delivery system for breast cancer treatment. Docetaxel loaded chitosan nanoparticles were formulated by water-in-oil nanoemulsion system and characterized in terms of particle size, zeta potential, polydispersity index, drug entrapment efficiency (EE), loading capacity (LC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), in vitro release study and drug release kinetics. Further, to evaluate the potential anticancer efficacy of docetaxel loaded chitosan nanoparticulate system, in vitro cytotoxicity studies on human breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231) were carried out. The morphological studies revealed the spherical shape of docetaxel loaded chitosan nanoparticles having an average size of 170.1 ± 5.42–227.6 ± 7.87 nm, polydispersity index in the range of 0.215 ± 0.041–0.378 ± 0.059 and zeta potential between 28.3 and 31.4 mV. Nanoparticles exhibited 65–76% of drug entrapment and 8–12% loading capacity releasing about 68–83% of the drug within 12 h following Higuchi's square-root kinetics. An increase of 20% MDA-MB-231 cell line growth inhibition was determined by docetaxel loaded chitosan nanoparticles with respect to the free drug after 72 h incubation.