1038pH-responsiveness and environmental stability of chondroitin sulfate and chitosan nanocapsules encapsulating fish oil for wound healing

Jia-Ning Liang1, Parushi Nargotra2, Yung-Chuan Liu2 and Chia-Hung Kuo1*,**

1Department of Seafood Science, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
2Department of Chemical Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan

Abstract body - Fish oil is rich in nutrients such as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which play vital roles in human health, but is highly susceptible to oxidation and rancidity. In this study, chitosan (ChI) and chondroitin sulfate (ChS) were combined through electrostatic interaction to form stable nanocapsules for encapsulating fish oil (ChS-ChI@FO NCs) to enhance stability of fish oil. The nanocapsules were evaluated for their various properties and their responsiveness under different conditions. The encapsulation of fish oil in nanocapsules was confirmed by XRD and FTIR analysis and encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity of 37.56% and 16.37% were achieved, respectively. The particle size of ChS-ChI@FO and ChS-ChI nanocapsules was found to increase significantly at pH 6.0 buffer solution. The release of fish oil was gradual at pH 7.4, reaching approximately 56% after 24 h. ChS-ChI@FO NCs exhibited a significantly enhanced antioxidant and antibacterial ability. ChS-ChI@FO nanocapsules were able to protect fish oil from oxidation at both room temperature and 50 °C for 4 weeks. In addition, the ChS-ChI@FO–loaded hydrogel significantly promoted wound healing, with nearly complete epithelial regeneration observed by day 14. These findings suggest the potential future extension of nanocapsules to the nutraceutical industry or wound inflammation-related applications.