Hybrid nanoarchitecture of gelatin-modified silica-chitosan as an efficient delivery platform and functional role of crosslinking

Abstract

A novel hybrid of a quercetin-loaded silica-chitosan, modified by crosslinked gelatin-folate was developed in the current study as a pH-sensitive drug delivery system. The entrapment efficiency of quercetin was measured at about 77%. The drug release pattern was investigated in acidic and natural media (pH 5.6 and pH = 7.4) for 96 h. In-vitro drug release from unmodified carriers exhibited a rapid release in the early times (57 and 39% after 24 h in acidic and neutral media), which was followed by a slower release. However, the release behavior was improved after modifying the carrier with a gelatin-folate layer. In addition, a further release rate was observed for the gelatin-modified carrier in an acidic medium (31% after 24 h) compared to a neutral condition (20% after 24 h), confirming pH-sensitive behavior. Furthermore, the cumulative release of quercetin from the crosslinked gelatin-folate modified silica-chitosan carrier followed an approximately slow release, so that 23% and 15% of the drug was released after 24 h in acidic and natural conditions, respectively. The release date was described by the Higuchi model, suggesting that both diffusion and polymer swelling control the release process. The high drug loading, pH-triggered behavior, and controlled release of the developed hybrid drug platform, combined with low toxicity, render this designed carrier applicable in targeted drug delivery.

Graphical abstract

Keywords:

• Controlled release
• crosslinking
• organic-inorganic hybrid
• pH-sensitive behavior
• polymer swelling

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to express gratitude to the Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, University of Kashan for financial support (grant pazhouhaneh) to this study.

Ethical approval

This manuscript doesn’t consist of studies with human and animal subjects.

Authors contributions

Zahra Niazi: Investigation, Data curation, Formal analysis, Methodology, Resources, Writing. Mohsen Ashjari: Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Methodology, Validation, review & editing.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no potential conflict of interest.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was financially supported by the University of Kashan.