N,N,N-Trimethyl chitosan nanoparticles for controlled intranasal delivery of HBV surface antigen.

Hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) loaded N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan nanoparticles (N-TMC NPs) were formulated and studied for controlled intranasal delivery. The size and surface properties of the NPs can be tuned by modifying the concentration of N-TMC and found to be 66±13, 76±9 nm for 0.25 and 0.5 wt.% respectively. Loading of 380 and 760 μl of HBsAg yielded 143±33, 259±47 nm sized spherical N-TMC NPs with highest loading efficiency and capacity of 90-93%, and 96-97% respectively. In vitro drug release analysis ensured 93% cumulative release of HBsAg antigen over prolonged period (43 days). In vivo immunological study was performed using 6-8 weeks old female BALB mice and reveals adjuvants efficiency of NPs for antigen is highly stable and better than standard. Obtained results show that N-TMC NPs can be extensively used in controlled intra nasal delivery to treat various diseases including hepatitis B and allergic rhinitis.