Chitosan-Based Nanoparticles as Effective Drug Delivery Systems—A review
Karolina Jafernik,
Agata Ładniak,
Eliza Blicharska,
Katarzyna Czarnek,
Halina Ekiert,
Agnieszka E. Wiącek,
Agnieszka Szopa
Affiliations
Karolina Jafernik
Chair and Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Jagiellonian University, Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Kraków, Poland
Agata Ładniak
Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biology Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Konstantynów 1J, 20-708 Lublin, Poland
Eliza Blicharska
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Medical University of Lublin, Chodźki 4a, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
Katarzyna Czarnek
Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Konstantynów 1H, 20-708 Lublin, Poland
Halina Ekiert
Chair and Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Jagiellonian University, Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Kraków, Poland
Agnieszka E. Wiącek
Department of Interfacial Phenomena, Institute of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Chemistry, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, M. Curie-Skłodowska Sq. 3, 20-031 Lublin, Poland
Agnieszka Szopa
Chair and Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Jagiellonian University, Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Kraków, Poland
Chitosan-based nanoparticles (chitosan-based nanocomposites; chitosan nanoparticles; ChNPs) are promising materials that are receiving a lot of attention in the last decades. ChNPs have great potential as nanocarriers. They are able to encapsulate drugs as well as active compounds and deliver them to a specific place in the body providing a controlled release. In the article, an overview has been made of the most frequently used preparation methods, and the developed applications in medicine. The presentation of the most important information concerning ChNPs, especially chitosan’s properties in drug delivery systems (DDS), as well as the method of NPs production was quoted. Additionally, the specification and classification of the NPs’ morphological features determined their application together with the methods of attaching drugs to NPs. The latest scientific reports of the DDS using ChNPs administered orally, through the eye, on the skin and transdermally were taken into account.
