Chitosan-Coated Liposome Delivery Systems
Summary
Chitosan-coated liposome delivery systems, often termed chitosomes, integrate the amphiphilic architecture of phospholipid vesicles with the cationic, mucoadhesive properties of chitosan. The approach enhances colloidal stability, prolongs circulation time and enables tunable release profiles by exploiting electrostatic interactions between the negatively charged lipid bilayer and the positively charged chitosan chains. Such coatings confer resistance to harsh physiological environments, foster adhesion to mucosal surfaces and facilitate paracellular transport. As a result, chitosomes have been explored for oral, nasal and topical routes, with demonstrated potential in targeted anticancer therapy, oral peptide delivery and vaccine antigen presentation. The modularity of chitosan derivatives allows fine control of shell thickness, charge density and biodegradation rate, while hybridisation with other biopolymers further broadens the scope of application in tissue engineering and immunomodulation.
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Chitosan-Coated Liposome Delivery Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in chitosan-coated liposome delivery systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Liposome: A spherical vesicle composed of one or more phospholipid bilayers, capable of encapsulating both hydrophilic and hydrophobic substances.
Chitosan: A cationic polysaccharide derived from chitin, used to coat or stabilise liposomes through electrostatic interaction and confer mucoadhesive properties.
Mucoadhesion: The adhesion of a material to mucosal surfaces, enhancing residence time and local bioavailability of encapsulated agents.
Encapsulation efficiency: The proportion of active compound successfully entrapped within a carrier relative to the initial quantity employed.
Zeta potential: The electrostatic potential at the slipping plane of a particle in suspension, indicative of colloidal stability and likelihood of aggregation.
References
- Chitosan-encapsulated lipid-based nanovesicles for therapeutic applications and tissue engineering: A review. Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications (2025).
- Sodium Alginate/Chitosan-Coated Liposomes for Oral Delivery of Hydroxy-α-Sanshool: In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation. Pharmaceutics (2023).
- Chitosan-Coating Effect on the Characteristics of Liposomes: A Focus on Bioactive Compounds and Essential Oils: A Review. Processes (2021).
- Chitosan-Coated Flexible Liposomes Magnify the Anticancer Activity and Bioavailability of Docetaxel: Impact on Composition. Molecules (2019).
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