Feasible Fabrication of Chitosan Capped Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles as a Smart Mucoadhesive Drug Delivery Platform for Dexamethasone for Long Term Lung Treatment

Among the carriers, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) were promising for drug carriers due to their biocompatibility and high porosity, thereby increasing the loading of therapeutic agents. Chitosan, a biocompatible polymer with a positive charge, was used to modify the MSN surface in order to achieve strong electrostatic mucoadhesion and further improve drug loading capacity and sustainable release profile. The MCM-41 type was prepared using a CTAB-templated sol-gel method. The SBA-15 type MSNs were prepared using the P123 surfactant template. MCM-41 was further aminated, then coated with chitosan via the crosslinking of glutaraldehyde. With an X-ray diffractometer, the hexagonal close-packed crystal structure of MSN was verified for MCM-41 and SBA-15. SEM demonstrated the particle morphology and distribution of MSNs. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy measured vibration modes of alkyl, amine, hydroxyl, and silica functions, confirming the encapsulation of chitosan on the MCM-41 (MCM-41-CHIT) surface. The small dexamethasone was encapsulated in the chitosan capped MCM-41. The drug loading capacity of MCM-41-CHIT revealed 53.7%. The burst release of dexamethasone in the unmodified MSNs was noted, which showed 80% in 24 hours. On the other hand, drug release in MCM-41-CHIT showed constant and delayed release, which showed only 19.7% in 120 hours and a potential to last 55 days. In summary, this research established chitosan capped MCM-41 as a potentially efficient candidate for the mucoadhesive drug delivery system used in long-term treatment.