Design and characterization of chitosan nanoparticles as delivery systems for paclitaxel

The main objective of this research is to design a new extended release multiparticulate delivery system by incorporation into nanoparticles made of chitosan-polymethacrylic acid copolymers. As the first part of a continued research on conversion of chitosan to useful biopolymer-based materials, by grafting polymethacrylic acid (PMAA), free radical graft copolymerization was carried out at 70 °C, with bis-acrylamide as a cross-linking agent and persulfate as an initiator. Equilibrium swelling studies were carried out in enzyme-free simulated gastric and intestinal fluids. Also, the paclitaxel as a model drug was entrapped in these nano-gels and in vitro release profiles were established separately in both enzyme-free SGF and SIF. The drug release was found to be faster in SIF.