Generation of sustained release chitosan nanoparticles for delivery of ketorolac tromethamine: a tubular microreactor approach

Abstract

Sustained release ketorolac tromethamine (KT) loaded chitosan nanoparticles were generated using tubular microreactor with syringe pump. 32 full-factorial design was employed for the optimization of formulation parameters. The chitosan concentration (X1) and cross-linking agent concentration (X2) was designated as the independent variables while drug release (Y1) and encapsulation efficiency (Y2) was selected as dependent variables to achieve desired entrapment efficiency and sustained drug release. The obtained nanoparticles were evaluated for particle size, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray powder diffractometry (XRD), encapsulation efficiency and in vitro drug release study. Scanning electron microscopy of optimized run showed that the nanoparticles are spherical, and the particle size distribution of nanoparticles were found in the range of 164.2–255 nm. An encapsulation efficiency was obtained between 76% - 96%. Based on in-vitro drug release study, KT loaded chitosan nanoparticles exhibited sustained release action over a period of 12 h. An application of in-vitro drug release statistics to numerous kinetic equations designated that the diffusion (Higuchi model) of drug was responsible for drug release.