title: Synthesis and characterization of oil-chitosan composite spheres.
abstract: Oil-chitosan composite spheres were synthesized by encapsulation of sunflower seed oil in chitosan droplets, dropping into NaOH solution and in situ solidification. Hydrophilic materials (i.e., iron oxide nanoparticles) and lipophilic materials (i.e., rhodamine B or epirubicin) could be encapsulated simultaneously in the spheres in a one step process. The diameters of the prepared spheres were 2.48 ± 0.11 mm (pure chitosan spheres), 2.31 ± 0.08 mm (oil-chitosan composites), 1.49 ± 0.15 mm (iron-oxide embedded oil-chitosan composites), and 1.69 ± 0.1 mm (epirubicin and iron oxide encapsulated oil-chitosan composites), respectively. Due to their superparamagnetic properties, the iron-oxide embedded oil-chitosan composites could be guided by a magnet. A lipophilic drug (epirubicin) could be loaded in the spheres with encapsulation rate measured to be 72.25%. The lipophilic fluorescent dye rhodamine B was also loadable in the spheres with red fluorescence being observed under a fluorescence microscope. We have developed a novel approach to an in situ process for fabricating oil-chitosan composite spheres with dual encapsulation properties, which are potential multifunctional drug carriers.
authors.affiliation: The School of Chinese Medicine for Post-Baccalaureate, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 82445, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Keng-Shiang
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Chih-Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chih-Hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Alexandru Mihai
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Grumezescu
authors.forename: Yung-Sheng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chao-Pin
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Kung
authors.forename: I-Yin
authors.initials: IY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yi-Ching
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Wei-Jie
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.forename: Wei-Ting
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry*; D015251:Epirubicin / Q000737:chemistry; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D008863:Microspheres; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D010316:Particle Size; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D012235:Rhodamines / Q000737:chemistry; D000074242:Sunflower Oil
chemical_list: D005290:Ferric Compounds; D010938:Plant Oils; D012235:Rhodamines; D000074242:Sunflower Oil; C000499:ferric oxide; D015251:Epirubicin; D048271:Chitosan; C029773:rhodamine B