Characterization of drug-loaded alginate-chitosan polyelectrolyte nanoparticles synthesized by microfluidics

In this study, the microfluidic approach (MF) and the bulk mixing method (BM) were utilized to synthesize 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-loaded alginate-chitosan (Alg-CS) polyelectrolyte-based nanoparticles (NPs). Characterization studies revealed that MF NPs obtained a smaller mean diameter (similar to 115 nm), narrower polydispersity index (0.14), and also a higher zeta potential (-38 mV) compared with BM NPs. Furthermore, drug encapsulation efficiency (EE) and drug loading capacity (LC) were both higher for MF NPs (%84 and %11, respectively). Moreover, convenient compatibility between 5-FU and Alg-CS was evidenced via fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) test. In vitro release studies coupled with its kinetics revealed that drug release from MF NPs not only experienced a lower burst release (%4 after 30 min) but also a more controlled release (%29 after 8 h), and in turn, its release behavior followed the Higuchi model at different pHs. Eventually, due to the desirable properties of MF NPs, they can be considered a reliable drug delivery system for the controlled release of 5-FU.