N,N,N-Trimethyl chitosan nanoparticles for controlled intranasal delivery of HBV surface antigen

Hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) loaded N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan nanoparticles (N-TMC NPs) were formulated and studied for controlled intranasal delivery. The size and surface properties of the NPs can be tuned by modifying the concentration of N-TMC and found to be 66 ± 13, 76 ± 9 nm for 0.25 and 0.5 wt.% respectively. Loading of 380 and 760 μl of HBsAg yielded 143 ± 33, 259 ± 47 nm sized spherical N-TMC NPs with highest loading efficiency and capacity of 90–93%, and 96–97% respectively. In vitro drug release analysis ensured 93% cumulative release of HBsAg antigen over prolonged period (43 days). In vivo immunological study was performed using 6–8 weeks old female BALB mice and reveals adjuvants efficiency of NPs for antigen is highly stable and better than standard. Obtained results show that N-TMC NPs can be extensively used in controlled intra nasal delivery to treat various diseases including hepatitis B and allergic rhinitis.