Ibuprofen Loaded Chitosan Films: in Vitro Assessment of Drug Release Profile and Cell Viability on Primary Neurons Culture

The success of a drug delivery system relies heavily on its interaction with cells from the target tissue. The range of applications for ibuprofen-loaded chitosan (ICH) films is widening, mainly due to the biodegradability of chitosan (CH) films and ibuprofen’s safety and versatility, with a particular interest in exploring it as neural drug delivery system. In this study, CH and 12% (w/w) ICH films were prepared through the solvent cast, and characterized regarding their physicochemical composition, surface and bulk morphology, drug release profile, and cell viability of primary neurons from the rat spinal cord. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses demonstrated that both groups had a similar composition. According to scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images, ibuprofen particles were entrapped on the surface and inside the polymeric matrix. In vitro drug release profile indicated that release starts as diffusion within the first hours, is best fitted by the Higuchi model, and continues for at least 30 days, in agreement with the Korsmeyer-Peppas model. Therefore, ibuprofen is first released through the diffusion process of the particles found on the surface and later through a combination of diffusion and erosion of the chitosan matrix. Regarding in vitro cell viability of primary neurons, CH and ICH extracts are non-toxic, as both groups displayed cell viability over 50%. ICH films are mildly reactive in neuronal cells, but do not cause severe cell death i.e., it allowed non-cytotoxic neuronal and glial differentiation. These findings enhanced our understanding of ICH films as a safe neural drug release system to be explored.