[Preparation of basic fibroblast growth factor chitosan microsphere and its properties]

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Drug Delivery Systems
• Polymer Chemistry

Context:

• Chitosan is a biocompatible and biodegradable polysaccharide widely explored as a carrier material in drug delivery.
• Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a crucial protein involved in cell growth, proliferation, and wound healing.
• Controlled release of therapeutic proteins like bFGF is essential for maintaining therapeutic efficacy and minimizing adverse effects.

Purpose:

• To develop and characterize basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) loaded chitosan microspheres using a cross-linking-emulsion method.
• To evaluate the physicochemical properties, including particle size, morphology, drug loading, and encapsulation efficiency.
• To investigate the in vitro release profile of bFGF from the prepared chitosan microspheres over an extended period.

Summary:

• bFGF-loaded chitosan microspheres were successfully prepared via a cross-linking-emulsion technique, yielding particles with sizes ranging from 20.312 to 24.152 micrometers.
• The microspheres exhibited a spherical morphology with a smooth surface and uniform distribution, and demonstrated high drug loading (7.57 ± 0.34 mg/g) and encapsulation efficiency (95.14% ± 1.58%).
• An initial burst release of 18.08% was observed, followed by sustained release of bFGF for 24 days, reaching 82.05% cumulative release, with bFGF levels increasing to 820.45 ± 21.34 ng/mL at day 24.

Impact:

• The developed bFGF chitosan microspheres offer a promising platform for sustained delivery of therapeutic proteins.
• The ease of preparation and favorable release characteristics lay the foundation for further in vivo studies and potential clinical applications.
• This study contributes to the field of biodegradable drug delivery systems, highlighting the potential of chitosan-based formulations for protein therapeutics.