Nanoparticles based on β-conglycinin and chitosan: Self-assembly, characterization, and drug delivery

The purpose of this study was to fabricate and evaluate nanoparticles based on β-conglycinin (7S) and chitosan (CS) to deliver 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). The nanoparticles were prepared with a self-assembly method. Turbidity measurements performed at 600 nm were used to investigate the formation of the nanoparticles as a function of the pH, 7S-to-CS mass ratio, and total concentration of 7S and CS. The optimum conditions for the preparation of the nanoparticles were a pH of 5.5, a 7S-to-CS mass ratio of 4 : 1, and total concentration of 7S and CS of 9 mg/mL. Under these conditions, the nanoparticles in solution had a high turbidity and good stability. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that the nanoparticles were formed mainly through electrostatic interactions between the amine groups (  NH 3 + ) of CS and the carboxyl groups (  COO − ) of 7S. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs and dynamic light scattering analysis showed that the nanoparticles had an approximately spherical morphology with a smooth surface, and the mean particle size was about 120 nm with a narrow size distribution. The release of 5-FU showed an initial burst release followed by a sustained release, and the release was pH-dependent. The release mechanism of 5-FU was Fickian diffusion according to the Ritger–Peppas model. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132 , 41963.