Amine Functionalization of Bacterial Cellulose for Targeted Delivery Applications

Description

Page: 93-95

Shivangi¹, Manoj Kumar², and Sajid Parwez³ (Department of Pharmacy, Sona Devi University, Ghatsila, Jharkhand^1,2 and Department of Psychology, Sona Devi University, Ghatsila, Jharkhand³)

Bacterial cellulose (BC), produced by Gluconacetobacter xylinus, is a chemically pure, highly crystalline, and biocompatible polymer approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for biomedical applications such as wound dressings and internal implants (Lin et al., 2013). The introduction of amine functional groups on BC and its nanocrystalline derivative (NCC) enhances its potential as a versatile platform for targeted delivery of therapeutics. Amine functionalization was achieved through a two-step process involving epichlorohydrin-mediated surface activation followed by ammonium hydroxide treatment, facilitating covalent attachment of proteins and fluorescent labels. NCC, prepared by hydrogen peroxide hydrolysis of BC, exhibited fiber dimensions appropriate for intracellular uptake. Functionalization was confirmed via Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, acid-base titration, and zeta potential measurements. Conjugation with proteins, including horseradish peroxidase (HRP), avidin, and avidin-biotin complexes, demonstrated high loading efficiency and stability. This work presents a novel and scalable approach to functionalizing bacterial cellulose for localized and targeted therapeutic delivery applications.