The Effect of the Degree of Deacetylation of Chitosan Nanoparticles and its Characterization and Encapsulation Efficiency on Drug Delivery

In this study, we investigated the effects of the degree of deacetylation (DD) of chitosan on the resulting nanoparticles' properties. The diameters of the nanoparticles increased as the DD of chitosan decreased. In addition, we prepared fluorouracil-loaded chitosan nanoparticles and characterized them using FTIR and NMR spectroscopy. The encapsulation efficiency increased with the DD of chitosan. Particles produced using 90%-DD chitosan had a mean particle size of 113nm and a 56.5% drug loading. The stable nanoparticles formed through the complexation of chitosan with TPP have the potential for use in drug delivery.