Usage of natural chitosan membrane obtained from insect corneal lenses as a drug carrier and its potential for point of care tests.

Abstract

Chitosan is an indispensable biopolymer for use as a drug carrier thanks to its non-toxic, biodegradable, biocompatible, antimicrobial, and anti-oxidative nature. In previous studies, chitosan was first dissolved into weak acids and formed into gel, then used for carrying pharmaceutically active compounds such as nanoparticles, capsules, composites, and films. Using the produced chitosan gel after dissolving it in weak acids has advantages, such as ease of processing for loading the required amount of active substance and making the desired shape and size. However, dissolved chitosan loses some of its natural properties such as fibrous structure, crystallinity, and thermal stability. In this study, for the first time, three-dimensional chitosan lenses obtained from an insect's (Tabanus bovinus) compound eyes, with the original shape intact, were tested as a drug carrier. A model drug, quercetin, was loaded into chitosan membrane, and its release profile was examined. Also, a point-of-care test was conducted for both chitin and chitosan membranes. Chitin and chitosan membranes obtained from insect corneal lenses were characterized by using FTIR, TGA, elemental analysis, and surface wettability analysis as well as stereo, binocular, and scanning electron microscopies. It was observed that chitosan membrane could be used as a drug carrier material. Both chitin and chitosan membranes will be improved for lateral flow assay, and these membranes can be tested for other bioengineering applications in further studies.