Multilayer sodium alginate beads with porous core containing chitosan based nanoparticles for oral delivery of anticancer drug

•Multilayer beads with and without porous were prepared by ionic gelation.•Porous-beads showed high entrapment efficiency and delayed drug release in GI tract.•The oral bioavailability of DOX was significantly promoted by porous-beads.

To develop efficient and safe anticancer drug doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) delivery system for oral chemotherapy, chitosan based nanoparticles (CS/CMCS–NPs) composed of chitosan (CS) and o-carboxymeymethy chitosan (CMCS) were immobilized in multilayer sodium alginate beads (NPs–M–Beads). Two kinds of NPs–M–Beads, with or without porous core, were respectively prepared by internal or external ionic gelation method. In the small intestine, the intact CS/CMCS–NPs were able to escape from porous-beads and sustained release the loading DOX. In vivo results showed that the DOX could be efficiently absorbed by small intestine of SD rat and the higher concentration of the DOX in major organs of rats were found after oral administration of Porous-Beads, which were about 2–4 folds higher than that of non-porous-beads. These results suggested that the NPs–M–Beads with porous core to be exciting and promising for oral delivery of DOX.