Self-Aggregated N-Acyl Chitosan Nanoparticle for Enhancing Sustained Release Property

N-acyl chitosans (N-acyl CSs) with various hydrophobic side chain length were synthesized to improve the resistance in acidic condition. The carrier for gentamicin was developed by N-acyl chitosan nanoparticles (N-acyl CSNPs), which were fabricated through self-aggregation method. N-acyl CSNPs were positive charged from 10.2 to 28.9 mV and the values were decreased from 4.2 to 11.1 mV after gentamicin loading. Particle sizes of N-acyl CSNPs increased from 208 to 480 nm with side chain length. When gentamicin was loaded into N-acyl CSNPs, the particle size decreased by up to 50%. Encapsulation efficiency was around 46-62%. In vitro release profiles of gentamicin in N-acyl CSNPs showed the sustained release properties during one week at pH 1.3 and pH 7.4. Therefore, gentamicin were efficiently loaded into N-acyl CSNPs, these nanoparticles showed a good morphology, nano-size distribution, and controlled release at acidic as well as neutral conditions that permit to propose them as a superior candidate for the delivery of gentamicin.