CRUDE INULIN DERIVED FROM DAHLIA TUBER AS NANOMATERIAL AND ITS CHARACTERIZATION

Objective: Dahlia tuber (Dahlia sp.) is one of the inulin sources that could be planted in Indonesia. Inulin is fructan-based polysaccharide. Therefore, the research aimed to investigate inulin from the extract of dahlia tuber as a drug excipient, especially for nanoparticles based on inulin-cysteamine thiomer. Methods: Crude inulin was isolated from dahlia tuber using ethanol for maceration. The resulting inulin was characterized using FT-IR and oxidized using sodium periodate (NaIO4) to increase solubility. Afterward, the oxidized crude inulin was further modified by conjugation with cysteamine to produce a cationic thiomer using reductive amination. The thiomer was evaluated regarding the number of thiol groups and solubility. The nanoparticles were prepared using ionic gelation methods. The resulting nanoparticles were evaluated for particle size and zeta potential. Results: Inulin can be isolated from dahlia tuber with its content of 18.60±4.45% and carbohydrate of 61.75±0.75%. Crude inulin can be conjugated with cysteamine to generate a cationic thiomer using NaCNBH3 as a reductant, which can increase its solubility with free thiol group content of 415.21±40.39 µmol/g. Nanoparticles were generated from crude inulin-cysteamine thiomer with sodium tripolyphosphate (NaTTP), leading to a particle size of 180 nm and zeta potential of-10.8 mV. Conclusion: As a potential nanoparticulate drug delivery system, a cationic thiomer could be synthesized from inulin derived from dahlia tuber grown in Indonesia.