Ellagic acid encapsulated chitosan nanoparticles as anti-hemorrhagic agent

Ellagic acid, a naturally occurring polyphenol was encapsulated in chitosan particles prepared by ionotropic gelation and characterized for its physicochemical properties. A maximum encapsulation efficiency of 49% was achieved. The blood clotting time and clot retraction time were calculated for different concentrations of ellagic acid, chitosan and ellagic acid-encapsulated chitosan. A reduction of 34% in the clot time and 16.4% in the retraction time was observed in ellagic acid-encapsulated chitosan when compared with free ellagic acid at concentrations as low as 0.1 mg/mL. The physical blend in comparison to free ellagic acid displayed a reduction of 13.8% and 4.6% in the clotting time and retraction time respectively under similar conditions. This suggests that the encapsulation of ellagic acid favors thrombosis due to synergistic action of chitosan and ellagic acid on same molecular targets. This study demonstrates the potential of ellagic acid chitosan system as an effective anti-hemorrhagic system. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.