Chitosan nanoparticles in drug therapy of infectious and inflammatory diseases

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Chitosan, a polymer from the chitin family has diverse pharmaceutical and bio-medical utility because of its easy widespread availability, non-toxicity, biocompatibility, biodegradability, rich functionalities and high drug-loading capacity. Recent pharmaceutical research has examined the use of chitosan-based systems for drug delivery applications in various diseases. The availability of functional groups permits the conjugation of specific ligands and thus helps to target loaded drugs to the site of infection/inflammation. Slow biodegradation of chitosan permits controlled and sustained release of loaded moieties; reduces the dosing frequency and is useful for improving patient compliance in infectious drug therapy. The muco-adhesion offered by chitosan makes it an attractive candidate for anti-inflammatory drug delivery, where rapid clearance of the active moiety due to the increased tissue permeability is the major problem. The pH-dependent swelling and drug release properties of chitosan present a means of passive targeting of active drug moieties to inflammatory sites.

Areas covered: Development of chitosan-based nanoparticulate systems for drug delivery applications is reviewed. The current state of chitosan-based nanosystems; with particular emphasis on drug therapy in inflammatory and infectious diseases is also covered.

Expert opinion: The authors believe that chitosan-based nanosystems, due to the special and specific advantages, will have a promising role in the management of infectious and inflammatory diseases.

KEYWORDS:

• Chitosan
• drug delivery
• inflammation
• infection
• nanoparticles

Article highlights

• Properties of chitosan and its derivatives and preparation methods of chitosan nanoparticles are reviewed.

• Problems associated with drug therapy in infectious and inflammatory diseases are discussed.

• Advantages offered by nanotechnology based systems in the treatment of infectious and inflammatory diseases are reviewed.

• Specific advantages relating to the use of chitosan and chitosan-based nanosystems in infectious and inflammatory diseases was discussed.

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Declaration of interest

The authors are thankful towards DST FAST TRACK (SB/YS/LS/124/2013) and the author Rajitha P is thankful towards DST inspire fellowship scheme (IF120499) for supporting us. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.