Explore the uses of Chitosan Nanoparticles
Astechnologyadvances,wearegettingintroducedtoa lotof innovativeand interesting inventions that make
our lives easier. One such creation has been chitosan nanoparticles. These are highly used in the medical industry mainly because of their biocompatible properties. Keep reading,andtoday,wewillsharewithyousomeofthe mostcommonusesofthisinvention. So,letusnotwasteourtimeanyfurtheranddiveright intoit.
Antifungal Properties
Chitosan, in its free polymer form, demonstrates antifungal properties against Alternaria alternata, Rhizopus oryzae, Aspergillus niger, Phomopsis asparagus, and Rhizopus stolonifer. The antifungal efficacy of chitosan depends on factors such as its concentration, molecular weight, degree of substitution, the type of functional groups added, and the specific fungus it targets. While chemical modificationcanenhancechitosantotargetparticular
pathogens, its inherent antifungal activity requires no suchalterations.
Drug Delivery
Chitosan nanoparticles have been widely studied for their potential as drug delivery agents due to their biocompatibility and non-toxic nature. Research confirmed that ionic gelation could produce chitosanTPP nanoparticles suitable for clinical use. This study also analyzed how manufacturing parameters affect particle quality to ensure consistent results during production.
Asubsequentstudyin2006exploredtheinvitroandin vivo interactions of chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) with epithelial cells on the ocular surface. CSNPs labelledwithfluoresceinisothiocyanate-bovineserum albumin were produced via ionotropic gelation, and three concentrations were tested on human conjunctival epithelial cells (IOBA-NHC) for exposure durationsof15,30,60,and120minutes.Cellsurvival
wasassessedimmediatelyaftertreatmentandafter24 hoursinarecoverymedium.
Confocal microscopy examined the interaction betweenCSNPsandIOBA-NHCcells,whilefluorometry evaluated the effects of temperature and metabolic inhibition. Rabbit models were used to study acute tolerance and in vivo uptake, revealing that CSNP uptake increased over time and was temperaturedependent, unaffected by metabolic inhibition using sodium azide. No inflammation or alterations were observed in the rabbit ocular surface post-exposure, andfluorescencemicroscopyconfirmedinvivouptake by corneal and conjunctival epithelia. These findings demonstrated the compatibility of CSNPs with ocular surfacetissues.
For non-injection drug delivery to mucosal sites, overcomingdrugabsorptionchallengesiscritical.The mucoadhesive nature of chitosan, stemming from its positive charge, allows it to bind with negatively
charged mucus, making it a strong carrier for such drugs.
Chitosan-based nanoparticles have been used to deliver drugs to the lungs, fixing lung mucosa effectively. For instance, dry powder inhalation of rifampicin, an anti-tubercular drug, with chitosan as the carrier enabled sustained drug release over 24 hours. Similarly, spray-dried microparticles of itraconazole loaded with chitosan nanoparticles improvedpulmonarydepositionoftheantifungaldrug.
Gold-Chitosan Particles for Heavy Metal Sensing
Research in 2005 proposed using gold nanoparticles capped with chitosan for detecting heavy metal ions. Chitosan’s polycationic nature enables electrostatic attachment to negatively charged gold nanoparticle surfaces. This setup provides steric hindrance for colloidal stability, allowing functionalized nanoparticles to act as sensors. The combination of chitosan’s chelating ability and gold nanoparticles’
optical properties enables the detection of low concentrationsofheavymetalionsinwater.
Water Treatment
Beyond medical uses, it has applications in water treatment.Functional groupslikehydroxyl andamino in chitosan make it an excellent adsorbent. One study demonstrated that membranes coated with chitosan nanoparticles removedbacteriamoreeffectivelythan uncoated ones. In 2015, chitosan-zinc oxide nanoparticlesachieved99%colorremovalfromtextile effluents.Whenmademagnetic,chitosancanfacilitate the recovery of adsorbed dyes using magnetic forces, enhancingwatertreatmentreusability.
Wrapping Up
The development of chitosan nanoparticles has become one of the most important technological advancements in the medical industry. From the discussion above, it should be clear to you how these areusedinthemedicalindustry.
