Amphiphilic chitosan derivatives as carrier agents for rotenone

In the present study, the feasibility of amphiphilic chitosan derivatives, namely oleoyl carboxymethyl chitosan (OCMCs), N,N-dimethylhexadecyl carboxymethyl chitosan (DCMCs) and deoxycholic acid carboxymethyl chitosan (DACMCs) as carrier agents for rotenone in water-insoluble pesticide formulations was investigated. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectrometer, CHN-O Elemental Analyser (CHN-O) and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) were used to characterise amphiphilic chitosan derivatives. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of amphiphilic chitosan derivatives was determined using a Fluorescence Spectrometer. A High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was used to determine the ability of OCMCs, DCMCs and DACMCs to load and release rotenone in an in vitro system. Based on TEM analysis, results have shown that amphiphilic chitosan derivatives formed self-assembly and exhibited spherical shape. The CMC values determined for OCMCs, DCMCs and DACMCs were 0.093, 0.098 and 0.468 mg/mL, respectively. The encapsulation efficiency (EE) values for the materials were more than 97.0%, meanwhile the loading capacity (LC) values were greater than 0.90%. OCMCs, DCMCs and DACMCs micelles exhibited an excellent ability to control the release of rotenone, of which 90.0% of rotenone was released within 40 to 52 h. In conclusion, OCMCs, DCMCs and DACMCs possess several key features to act as effective carrier agents for rotenone. Overall, amphiphilic chitosan derivatives produced in this study were successfully increased the solubility of rotenone by 49.0 times higher than free rotenone.