Influence of Divalent Cation on Morphology and Drug Delivery Efficiency of Mixed Polymer Nanoparticles

Background: Biopolymeric nanoparticles comprising chitosan-alginate have attracted interest in drug delivery due to their protective nature, biocompatibility, biodegradability and hydrophilicity. Objective: The present study was designed to encapsulate levofloxacin in chitosan-alginate hybrid gel for controlled release and to evaluate the effect of divalent alkaline earth metal ions (Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, Ba2+) on encapsulation efficiency and drug release kinetics considering their role in polyelectrolyte gelation method. Method: Divalent metal ions control the rigidity and elasticity of the hydrogels and have the ability to change the shape and size of nanostructure formed by chitosan-alginate. The particle size increases and encapsulation efficiency decreases with the size of the divalent ions. Spherical shaped particles were formed by Mg2+ and Ca2+, whereas Sr2+ and Ba2+ produced non-spherical particles. Results: SEM image clearly shows transformation of sphere to truncated tetrahedron by Sr2+ and clear rod shape by Ba2+. Conclusion: Therefore, it is concluded that metal ions have significant influence on the morphology and drug encapsulation and release profile of the chitosan-alginate hybrid polymer nanoparticles.