In situ synthesis of new magnetite chitosan/carrageenan nanocomposites by electrostatic interactions for protein delivery applications

We present a simple method to develop magnetite chitosan/carrageenan nanocomposites by in situ synthesis under mild conditions, and then their potential for controlled release of macromolecules was also evaluated. The structural, morphological and magnetic properties of the as-prepared materials were studied by vibrating sample magnetometer, X-ray diffractometer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analyzer and transmission electron microscopy. With the varying mass ratio (chitosan to Fe3O4-carrageenan nanocomposite), the developed nanocarriers presented sizes within 73-355 nm and zeta potentials of −42-32 mV. Using bovine serum albumin as model protein, the adsorption and release behaviors were investigated. Nanocarriers evidenced excellent loading capacity of 181 mg g−1 at protein concentration of 0.2 mg mL−1, and demonstrated capacity to provide a sustained release up to 85% of adsorbed protein in 30 min in intestinal medium rather than acidic medium. These results suggest that the developed magnetite chitosan/carrageenan nanocomposites are promising in the application of magnetically targeted delivery of therapeutic macromolecules.