Table 2. . Characterization in terms of thiol groups, disulfide bonds, polydispersity index, particle size, payload and ζ-potential of covalently cross-linked (oxidized) nanocarriers.
| Formulations | -SH [μMol/g] | -S-S- [μMol/g] | Size (nm) | PDI | Payload % | ζ-potential (mv) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC |
- |
- |
449 ± 38†* |
0.31 ± 0.01 |
47.0†** |
28 ± 4 |
| TC |
1283 ± 96 |
82 ± 27 |
495 ± 13 |
0.29 ± 0.03 |
64.8 |
23 ± 0.9 |
| Thiolated chitosan (Ox) |
857 ± 45 |
389 ± 52 |
390 ± 26§* |
0.21 ± 0.02 |
69.5§* |
21 ± 0.6 |
| MTC |
1269 ± 101 |
62 ± 18 |
478 ± 9 |
0.25 ± 0.01 |
72.9 |
20 ± 1 |
| Mannose-anchored Ox | 781 ± 95 | 454 ± 113 | 362 ± 27‡* | 0.22 ± 0.03 | 78.3‡*** | 19 ± 3 |
Values are mean ± SD of at least three experiments. Statistically significant differences were determined between UC and ox TC †; UC and Ox MTC ‡; Ox TC and Ox MTC §.
*p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001.
MTC: Mannose-anchored thiolated chitosan; Ox: Oxidized; PDI: Polydispersity index; SD: Standard deviation; TC: Thiolated chitosan; UC: Unmodified chitosan.