Self-aggregates of deoxycholic acid modified chitosan as a novel carrier of adriamycin

Abstract

A novel and simple method for delivery of adriamycin (ADR) was developed using self-aggregates of deoxycholic acid-modified chitosan. Deoxycholic acid was covalently conjugated to chitosan via EDC-mediated reaction to generate self-aggregated chitosan nanoparticles. ADR was physically entrapped inside the self-aggregates and the characteristics of ADR-loaded chitosan self-aggregates were analyzed by dynamic light scattering fluorescence spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The maximum amount of entrapped ADR reached 16.5 wt% of chitosan self-aggregated suggesting a loading efficiency of 49.6 wt%. The size of ADR-loaded self-aggregates increased with increasing the loading content of ADR. AFM images showed spherical shape of ADR-loaded self-aggregates, and ADR was slowly released from chitosan self-aggregates in PBS solution (pH 7.2).