Response surface methodology in the optimization of tea polyphenols-loaded chitosan nanoclusters formulations

Response surface methodology was used to optimize tea polyphenols-loaded chitosan nanoclusters preparation conditions, including carboxymethyl chitosan concentration, chitosan hydrochloride concentration and amount of tea polyphenols. The responses particle size and entrapment efficiency of nanoclusters were studied. The optimum conditions of carboxymethyl chitosan concentration, chitosan hydrochloride concentration and amount of tea polyphenols were found to be 3.63, 1.19 and 10.94 mg/mL, respectively. The optimized particle size was 301 nm, and entrapment efficacy of nanoclusters was added up to 83.7%. The results demonstrated that Box-Behnken design methodology was an effective way to obtain the optimal formulation of tea polyphenols-loaded chitosan nanoclusters, and the nanoclusters complexation synthesizing through ionic gelation between carboxymethyl chitosan and chitosan hydrochloride was good biomaterials, which could be successfully used to encapsulate tea polyphenols.