The application of chitosan-based nanocarriers in improving the release of the anticancer drug quercetin: a review study

Chitosan is derived from non-toxic renewable resources and acts as a compatible and effective biomaterial. As an anti-cancer drug, quercetin has low solubility. Chitosan-based nanocarriers are of particular interest because they can enhance the bioavailability and anticancer efficacy of quercetin by passively or actively targeting cancer tissues. On the other hand, the active centers in the main structure of chitosan enable the creation of nanocarriers with various cross-links on the surface. Thus, this leads to targeted release in the patient's body and avoids damage to healthy tissue. On the other hand, chitosan is a pH-sensitive biopolymer, which changes the hydrophilic and hydrophobic balance in the polymer network according to pH conditions and reacts to the acidic environment around cancer cells to collapse the structure. As a result, it causes the controlled release of quercetin in cancerous tumors and reduces its harmful effects on normal cells. This study investigated the effectiveness of chitosan-based nanocarriers in improving and promoting the release of the anti-cancer drug quercetin.