Preparation of active matter delivery systems based on chitosan and investigation of their efficacy

In this study ionotropic gelation behaviors of chitosan and its polyelectrolyte complexes have been investigated, with the aim of developing active matter carrying systems for use in controlled release of peptide and protein drugs as well as foot and mouth disease antigen (FMDA). Anions and cations have been used simultaneously in this study, as cross-linkers, for the first time providing a new strategy which enables cross-linking in a much more effective way than those appear in the literature. Polylelectrolyte complexes (PEC) of chitosan with some natural polysaccarides have been prepared and among them chitosan-alginate PEC has been found to undergo gelation in the most favorable way. Swelling, bovine serum albumin (BSA) capture and release behaviors of selected chitosan-alginate-anion-cation systems have been investigated and the results have been evaluated in terms of the usability of these systems in controlled release of proteins. These systems have been shown to capture FMDA to such an extent that their nano particles can be proposed to be used in vaccine formulations as antigen delivery systems.