12th International Conference of Pharmaceutical Sciences

The encapsulation of nanoparticles in colon-specific microparticles enables targeted delivery of anti-cancer drug to the colon under an oral administration. The aim of this work was to develop and characterize chitosan nanoparticles incorporated into retrograded starch and pectin (RS/P) microparticles for colon-specific delivery of 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU). Nanoparticles were encapsulated into RS/P microparticles using spray-aided ionotropic gelation technique and characterized by size, encapsulation efficiency, yield, morphology and in vitro release assay. RS/P microparticles had an average size of 968 µm with yield of 46.12%. Nanoparticle encapsulation efficiency into microparticles was 12.34%, and microscopy (FEG-SEM) showed successfully incorporation of nanoparticles into these microparticles, with spherical shape and smooth surface. 5-FU release rates from nanoparticles incorporated into RS/P microparticles were reduced compared to nanoparticles. These results indicate that RS/P microparticles were able to control nanoparticle release along the gastrointestinal tract, demonstrating their potential for drug release in the colon.