Chitosan microspheres as a delivery system for nasal insufflation

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Materials Science

Background:

• Nasal drug delivery offers an alternative route for systemic administration.
• Chitosan-based microspheres are promising for mucoadhesive drug delivery systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize chitosan mucoadhesive microspheres for nasal delivery.
• To evaluate their morphology, particle size, swelling, mucoadhesion, and delivery properties.

Main Methods:

• Microspheres prepared using emulsification-crosslinking.
• Evaluated via morphology, particle size analysis, swelling index, and in vitro mucoadhesion.
• Delivery efficiency assessed using a Miat(®) nasal insufflator.

Main Results:

• Spherical microspheres with smooth surfaces were obtained.
• Particle size was influenced by chitosan concentration and stirring rate.
• % equilibrium water uptake ranged from 124% to 232%.
• Mucoadhesive strength was between 70.64±2.14% and 86.32±3.96%.

Conclusions:

• Chitosan microspheres are suitable for nasal delivery.
• Optimized preparation methods yield desirable characteristics for nasal insufflation.
• The developed microspheres demonstrate potential for effective nasal drug distribution.