Facile fabrication of pH-responsive and swellable slow release microparticles of chlorpheniramine maleate with chitosan-starch matrices and their crosslinks

Abstract

We synthesized chitosan and modified same by blending with starch, crosslinking the matrices with sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) and encapsulation with the drug chlorpheniramine maleate (CPM). These microparticles were characterized by FTIR, TGA, and SEM techniques. The amounts of CPM released from the microparticles generally decreased for the TPP-crosslinked beads but increased as the starch composition increased. Their release rates were best described by zero-order kinetics while their release mechanisms followed less-Fickian diffusional release. Our findings show that both the uncrosslinked and crosslinked chitosan-starch beads are promising carriers for the slow release of CPM.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords:

• Chitosan
• chlorpheniramine maleate
• kinetics
• slow release
• starch

Acknowledgement

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. However, the authors are very grateful for the assistance of Prof. Aiguo Wu of the Division of Functional Materials and Nano Devices, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo 315201, People’s Republic of China. The authors also appreciate the positive inputs made by Mr. Romanus Uwaoma and Dr. Elias Emeka Elemike both of the North-West University, South Africa.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interests.