Release profile and stability evaluation of optimized chitosan/alginate nanoparticles as EGFR antisense vector

Abstract

Chitosan/alginate nanoparticles which had been optimized in our previous study using two different N/P ratios were chosen and their ability to release epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antisense was investigated. In addition, the stability of these nanoparticles in aqueous medium and after freeze-drying was investigated. In the case of both N/P ratios (5, 25), nanoparticles started releasing EGFR antisense as soon as they were exposed to the medium and the release lasted for approximately 50 hours. Nanoparticle size, shape, zeta potential, and release profile did not show any significant change after the freeze-drying process (followed by reswelling). The nanoparticles were reswellable again after freeze-drying in phosphate buffer with a pH of 7.4 over a period of six hours. Agarose gel electrophoresis of the nanoparticles with the two different N/P ratios showed that these nanoparticles could protect EGFR antisense molecules for six hours. © 2010 Azizi et al, publisher and licensee Dove Medical Press Ltd.