Title:Chitosan and its Derivatives as Chemical Drug Delivery Carriers
VOLUME: 22 ISSUE: 7
Author(s):Lei Xing, Lina Du, Cheng-Qiong Luo, Tian-Jiao Zhou, Yong Zhu, Jia-Hui Gong, Yiguang Jin* and Hu-Lin Jiang*
Affiliation:State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing 100850, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing 100850, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009
Keywords:Aminopolysaccharide, chitosan, chitosan derivatives, drug delivery system, chemical modification.
Abstract:Background: Chitosan (CS) is a nontoxic and biocompatible natural polysaccharide
with great development potential in the delivery of chemical drugs. However, further
applications of CS are limited due to its inherent insolubility in neutral solution.
Objective: The chemical modification of CS is of great significance for drug carriers, and
the modification would not alter its fundamental skeleton but affords new or improved
properties for drug delivery systems.
Method: This review is designed to afford an overview of CS and CS derivatives used as
drug delivery carriers, with a special stress on chemical modifications of CS to attain specific
biomedical purpose.
Results: The chemical modification of CS is generally carried out on the primary amine group or on the hydroxyl
group. A variety of modifications such as quaternization, acylation, sulfonation, phosphorylation, thiolation,
hydrophobization, hydrophilization afford extensive derivatives with improved properties for specific
applications in pharmaceutical, biomedical and biotechnological fields.
Conclusion: Various drug delivery systems and delivery of different categories of drugs based on CS and CS
derivatives have also been illustrated.
