title: Effect of experimental parameters on the formation of alginate-chitosan nanoparticles and evaluation of their potential application as DNA carrier.
abstract: This study introduces a new procedure to prepare alginate-chitosan nanoparticles and examines several experimental parameters in relation to their formation and characteristics. Using DLS and TEM analysis, nanoparticle formation was shown to be predominantly affected by the ratio of alginate to chitosan, the molecular weight of the biopolymers and the solution pH. We report a method that results in spherical particles with mean diameters ranging from 323 nm to 1.6 microm, depending on the preparation conditions. The smallest particles were formed using lower molecular weight polymers with pH between 5.0 and 5.6 and having an alginate/chitosan weight ratio of 1:1.5. We have shown that DNA can be loaded with 60% association efficiency. Our system demonstrates suitable size, loading and release characteristics for application in drug- and gene-delivery systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, 3775 University Street, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3A 2B4.
authors.forename: Kimberly L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Douglas
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tabrizian
mesh_terms: D000464:Alginates / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002122:Calcium Chloride / Q000737:chemistry; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry*; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry*; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry*; D020723:Glucuronic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D006603:Hexuronic Acids / Q000737:chemistry; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010316:Particle Size; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000464:Alginates; D004337:Drug Carriers; D006603:Hexuronic Acids; D020723:Glucuronic Acid; D004247:DNA; D048271:Chitosan; D002122:Calcium Chloride