Novel carboxymethyl chitin nanoparticles for cancer drug delivery applications

Carboxymethyl chitin (CMC) nanoparticles were prepared by cross-linking of CMC solution with CaCl2 and FeCl3. The cytotoxicity of the CMC nanoparticles was evaluated using MTT assay and they were found to be non-toxic into L929 mouse cells. The antibacterial and magnetic properties of the CMC nanoparticles were also studied. The prepared CMC nanoparticles were characterized using SEM and FTIR. The model hydrophobic anticancer drug 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu) was loaded into CMC nanoparticles via emulsion cross-linking method. The encapsulation efficiency and in-vitro drug release behaviour of drug-loaded nanoparticles were studied by UV spectrophotometer. Drug release studies showed that the CMC nanoparticles showed controlled and sustained drug release at pH 6.8. Moreover, the prepared nanoparticles were also found to be antibacterial and their magnetic properties reveals for their potential use in drug tracking. These results indicated that CMC nanoparticles are a promising carrier system for controlled drug delivery.