In vitro release of rifampicin and biocompatibility of oleoylchitosan nanoparticles

Oleoylchitosan (OCS) self-assembled nanoparticles as a carrier system for hydrophobic drug delivery was proposed. The OCS nanoparticles were prepared by in o/w emulsification method. Mean diameter of the OCS nanoparticles was around 275.3 nm. All the OCS and OCS nanoparticles have good biocompatibility from the cytotoxicity testing and erythrocyte toxicity assay. And the biocompatibility of OCS nanoparticles was better than OCS. Rifampicin, as a model drug, was investigated for its release properties in vitro. The release of rifampicin from solution with pH 6.0 and 6.8 was characterized by a faster release than from solution with pH 3.8. The increase of sodium tripolyphosphate could slower the release of drug. The sample with low concentration of rifampicin, released faster and entirely. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 111: 2269-2274, 2009