The influence of preparation conditions on the formation and extent of interactions in chitosan/xanthan gum polyelectrolyte complexes as potential drug delivery carriers

Abstract

The formation and properties of polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) based on chitosan (CH) and xanthan gum (XG) depend on various preparation parameters (pH value, ionic strength, mixing order of polyelectrolytes, etc.). The extent of polyelectrolytes interactions can significantly influence the achievement of the desired drug release kinetics from the PECs (Ćirić et al., 2022). The dissolution of CH is one of the essential requirements influencing the formation and properties of PECs. Previous research has shown that CH dissolves in dilute solutions of acids at a pH < 6.3 (Furuike et al., 2017). Therefore, this research aimed to determine the influence of pH and the type of pH-adjusting agent on the formation and extent of interactions in PECs based on CH and XG. ...