Preparation and Characterization of Paclitaxel/Chitosan Nanosuspensions for Drug Delivery System and Cytotoxicity Evaluation In Vitro

In this study, we prepared paclitaxel/chitosan (PTX/CS) nanosuspensions (NSs) with different mass ratios of PTX and CS (1.5:2, 2:2, and 2.5:2), for controlled drug delivery purposes. For attachment and dispersion in water medium, a simple ultrasonic disruption technique was employed. The water-dispersed PTX/CS NSs exhibited a rod-shape morphology with an average diameter of 170–210 nm and average length of about 1–10 µm. Transmission electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction indicated that the obtained PTX/CS NSs contain a nanocrystalline PTX phase. It was also inferred that presence of CS can promotes the crystalline nature of PTX up to 80%. In addition, efficiency of PTX loading reached over 85% in freeze-dried PTX/CS NSs, showing a slow rate of drug release in vitro for 8 days. The MTT and LDH assessments revealed that PTX/CS NSs significantly inhibit the growth of tumor cells (HeLa), while it is slightly toxic for the normal cells (NIH/3T3). Therefore, PTX/CS NSs is suggested as a potential nanodrug delivery system for cancer therapy. Graphic Abstract