Preparation and Characterization of Folate-Targeted Chitosan Nanoparticles Loaded with Hydroxycamptothecin

FA-targeted and 10-hydroxycamptothecin loaded chitosan nanoparticles (FA-HCPT-NPs) were prepared with a combination of emulsion-solvent evaporation and chemical crosslink method. The analysis revealed that the FA-HCPT-NPs were spherical with diameter of 255.5  16.2 nm, zeta potential of + 70 mV, HCPT encapsulation efficiency of 81.2% and loading rate of 2.5%. X-ray powder diffraction illustrated that HCPT was buried as an amorphous form in the NPs. The release profiles of HCPT exhibited a biphasic pattern characterized by an initial burst release followed by a slower and sustained release. The results indicated that the novel FA-HCPT-NPs could be a potential drug delivery system for tumor cell-selective targeting therapy.