ABSTRACT:
The present study deals with formulation of Chitosan nanoparticles of Acyclovir in an attempt to increase its bioavailability with sustained action. Acyclovir is antiviral agent used to treat various types of herpes infections, having short half-life of 2.5-3.3 hours, and oral bioavailability 15-30%. Its anti-viral effect lasts for a few hours. Acyclovir loaded chitosan nanoparticles were prepared by Ionotropic gelation method for oral delivery. Formulation were prepared in ten different drug ,polymer and crosslinking agent (TPP), and characterized for particle size, shape, percentage yield, drug entrapment, stability studies, zeta potential, FT-IR study, in-vitro drug release, release kinetics in vivo mucoadhesion study and in vivo absorption study. The shape of nanoparticles was found to be spherical by scanning electron microscopy studies, whereas size ranging from 300 nm to 900 nm. FTIR study confirmed that there was no interaction between drug and polymer. Percentage yield and entrapment efficiency was in the range of 52.51 + 0.08% to 71.04 + 0.03 % and 37.42 + 0.05 to 66.24 + 0.03 %w/w respectively. No appreciable difference was observed in the extent of degradation of product during 60 days in the nanoparticles, which were stored at various temperatures. Zeta potential of formulation supports the minimum interaction between the particles. The in-vitro drug release study revealed that sustained release of some formulation last for more than 12 hour. The release followed zero order kinetics, which follows super case II transport, mucoadhesion property after 2.5 hours shows that 69.41 % and absorption of nanoparticles shows more than the compare pure drug.