IMPACT OF LIGAND CONJUGATION OF PHYSICOCHEMICAL ATTRIBUTES OF POLYMERIC NANOPARTICLES OF ATYPICAL ANTIPSYCHOTIC DRUG FOR NOSE-TO-BRAIN DELIVERY

Objective: To formulate and characterize the ligand-conjugated chitosan nanoparticles of Ziprasidone Hydrochloride (ZH) and compare with its plain chitosan nanoparticles. Methods: Transferrin (Tf) conjugated Chitosan Nanoparticles (CH-NP) containing ZH were prepared by ionotropic gelation method by using modified chitosan and Tf. Physicochemical attributes of nanoparticles which can potentially impact the nose-to-brain delivery were evaluated. Results: The Tf-CH-NP has demonstrated 207.1 nm mean particle size, 87.6% entrapment efficiency with a release of 89.34% at 24 h and has shown about 2.22 times more release than drug suspension and about 4.5% more than plain CH-NP. The similar trend was observed in Ex vivo nasal permeation study. Its acceptability was shown in histomorphology study, where a minimal inflammation seen, that might be due to the pH of the formulation. There is deeper penetration with Tf-CH-NP, which is more promising for penetration into brain. Conclusion: The formulated Tf-CH-NP has a greater potential due to ligand conjugation to reach the brain and, facilitate targeted delivery and enables better treatment of schizophrenia at minimal doses.