Chitosan/carrageenan nanoparticles: Effect of cross-linking with tripolyphosphate and charge ratios

Chitosan/carrageenan/tripolyphosphate nanoparticles were prepared by polyelectrolyte complexation/ionic gelation, the latter compound acting as cross-linker. The incorporation of the three components in the nanoparticle matrix was assessed by analytical techniques (FTIR, XPS and TOF-SIMS). chitosan/carrageenan nanoparticles as control, the effect of the cross-linker in the particles properties was studied. A decrease in size (from 450–500 nm to 150–300 nm) and in zeta potential (from +75 – +85 mV to +50 – +60 mV), and an increase in production yield (from 15–20% to 25–35%), and in stability (from one week to up to 9 months) were observed. Also, a correlation between positive to negative charge ratios in the formulations and the above characteristics was established. all size and high positive surface charge make the developed chitosan/carrageenan/tripolyphosphate nanoparticles potential tools for an application in mucosal delivery of macromolecules.