Oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by sodium phosphorylated chitosan

Oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions with sodium phosphorylated chitosan (PCTS) were obtained via simple emulsification. PCTS in aqueous solution was amphiphilic with a hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (HLB) of 19 and a critical aggregation concentration (CAC) of 0.13% w/v. The emulsifying efficiency and emulsion stability of PCTS over oil droplets were evaluated in terms of the droplet size, droplet size distribution and microscopic observation using confocal laser scanning microscopy. PCTS preferred to cover oil droplets to produce an O/W emulsion and formed long term stable particles (90 days storage at room temperature) when using PCTS concentrations from above the CAC to 3% w/v. However, emulsions formed from PCTS concentrations below the CAC or over 3% w/v were unstable with particle agglomeration by flocculation after only 7 days storage, although they reverted to individual droplets that retained their integrity in acidic conditions. Overall, PCTS forms effective stable O/W encapsulated particles with potential applications in lipophilic drug encapsulation via a simple emulsion system.