Evaluation of Carboxymethyl-Hexanoyl Chitosan as a Protein Nanocarrier

• Carboxymethyl‐hexanoyl chitosan (CHC) has the ability to self‐assemble into nanocapsules in anaqueous solution and it has recently shown potentialin numerous biomedical applications. Here weinvestigate the protein loading efficiency and release,as well as the structural properties of CHC proteinnanocarriers. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) or itschromophore labelled version, fluorescein‐BSA, wasused as a model protein and the loading wasperformed with a simple mixing of pre‐formednanocapsules and protein. Dynamic light scatteringand zeta potential analysis revealed that proteinloaded nanocarriers with high positive zeta potentialwere formed. The protein loaded nanocarriersdisplayed a loading efficiency of 75% and a very slowprotein release. In summary, our results highlight thepotential of CHC as a protein nanocarrier, but alsoindicate that protein‐CHC interactions need to beconsidered in protein containing CHC formulationswhere protein release is not the main function.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Amphiphilic chitosan

Nanocarrier

Carboxymethyl-hexanoyl chitosan

Protein delivery

Nanoparticle

Publication and Content Type

art (subject category)

ref (subject category)