Chitosan nanoparticulate and their applications: A review

Abstract

Chitosan has reached a prominent position as the carrier-forming material, as diverse methods can be applied to produce nanoparticles using that excipient. Chitosan polymers are extensively used for the delivery of an active pharmaceutical ingredient. They can form a matrix or membrane that can control the release of a drug over a prolonged period of time or sustained release of drugs, thus avoiding repetitive dosing. Several methods have been developed to produce chitosan nanoparticles, since those have been shown to offer attractive advantages as drug delivery carriers. Chitosan is an effective material for biomedical applications because of their biocompatibility, biodegradability and non-toxicity, apart from their antimicrobial activity and low immunogenicity, which clearly points to an immense potential for future development. This review summarizes the biomedical applications of multifunctional chitosan based nanomaterials in drug delivery and as a support medium for enzyme immobilization.