Manufacture and characterization of chitosan/PLGA nanoparticles nanocomposite buccal films

Oral bioavailability of C-glycosyl flavonoid enriched fraction of Cecropia glaziovii (EFF-Cg) is limited due to its chemical complexity. The purpose of this study is the prospective evaluation of chitosan buccal films impregnated with EFF-Cg-loaded nanospheres as a drug delivery system for labial herpes treatment or for buccal administration. EFF-Cg-loaded PLGA nanospheres were prepared by double emulsion solvent evaporation technique. Nanoparticles were embedded into buccoadhesive chitosan films in different concentrations in order to obtain nanocomposite films. Films were characterized in term of morphology, mechanical properties and water absorption test. Furthermore a cytotoxicity assay was analyzed to evaluate the biocompatibility of systems. The results obtained from these analyses revealed that nanocomposite films present transparent appearance in all composition and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images show a continuous and compact section structure. Compared to the control film, mechanical responses of nanocomposites presented lower tensile strength values and no significant effect on the elongation at break. Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) tests indicated that increasing of NP concentration caused decreased stiffness and an increased of glass transition temperature values. Direct cytotoxicity test shows that nanoparticles and chitosan films not induce cytotoxic effect. Given the promising results, the study concludes that the developed buccal film impregnated with EFF-Cg-loaded nanospheres could be a promising approach for effective delivery of EFF-Cg.