Fabrication of ovalbumin-loaded alginate-chitosan nanoparticle using coaxial electrospray for protein delivery orientation

Abstract

Protein therapeutics have emerged as effective and unique therapies because of their vast benefits in the pharmaceutical field. This study developed ovalbumin (OVA) loaded alginate-chitosan (ALG-CHI) nanoparticles using coaxial electrospray without a cross-linking agent to orally deliver OVA protein for protein therapeutics orientation. The optimal parameters include a voltage of 21 kV, a flow-rate of 0.1/0.2 mL.h^-1 (core/shell), a working distance of 10 cm, polymer concentrations of 4 wt% CHI and 0.5 wt% ALG. The obtained ALG-OVA@CHI nanoparticles had a spherical shape, smooth surface, no aggregation, and core-shell structure observed by SEM and TEM images. The nanoparticles had a hydrodynamic diameter of 313.0 ± 129.9 nm and a zeta potential of +1.6 mV at neutral pH, as measured by DLS equipment. Remarkably, the ALG-OVA@CHI nanoparticles highly encapsulated OVA with 99.04 ± 0.14% efficiency, protected it from gastric acid in the stomach, and facilitated sustained release OVA in the simulated colonic condition for at least 8 days. The release of these nanoparticles were primarily controlled by the diffusion of OVA and polymer disintegration in the release media, followed the Korsmeyer-Peppas non-Fickian transport mechanism. These findings suggested that the ALG-OVA@CHI design had potentials as an oral formulation for protein delivery.