Single-Step Self-Assembly of Zein-Honey-Chitosan Nanoparticles for Hydrophilic Drug Incorporation by Flash Nanoprecipitation

• Published in: Pharmaceutics Vol. 14; no. 5; p. 920
• Main Authors: Loureiro, Jorge, Miguel, Sónia P, Seabra, Inês J, Ribeiro, Maximiano P, Coutinho, Paula
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 22-04-2022; MDPI
• Subjects: chitosan; Cytotoxicity; Drug delivery systems; Efficiency; flash nanoprecipitation; Glucose; Nanoparticles; Polymers; self-assembly; Vitamin C; zein; Belgium; United Kingdom > UK; United States > US; Portugal; Germany; zein; chitosan; self-assembly; nanoparticles; flash nanoprecipitation
• ISSN: 1999-4923; 1999-4923
• DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14050920

Zein- and chitosan-based nanoparticles have been described as promising carrier systems for food, biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. However, the manufacture of size-controlled zein and chitosan particles is challenging. In this study, an adapted anti-solvent nanoprecipitation method was developed. The effects of the concentration of zein and chitosan and the pH of the collection solution on the properties of the zein-honey-chitosan nanoparticles were investigated. Flash nanoprecipitation was demonstrated as a rapid, scalable, single-step method to achieve the self-assembly of zein-honey-chitosan nanoparticles. The nanoparticles size was tuned by varying certain formulation parameters, including the total concentration and ratio of the polymers. The zein-honey-chitosan nanoparticles' hydrodynamic diameter was below 200 nm and the particles were stable for 30 days. Vitamin C was used as a hydrophilic model substance and efficiently encapsulated into these nanoparticles. This study opens a promising pathway for one-step producing zein-honey-chitosan nanoparticles by flash nanoprecipitation for hydrophilic compounds' encapsulation.