Development and Evaluation of Chitosan Coated Optimized Levetiracetam loaded Nanoliposomes

Abstract

The development of chitosan-coated nanoliposomes has emerged as a promising strategy for enhancing the intranasal delivery of therapeutic agents targeting the central nervous system. In this study, optimized Levetiracetam-loaded nanoliposomes (Opt-LEV-NLs) were coated with 0.1% and 0.3% chitosan to improve nasal uptake and mucoadhesion. The formulations were evaluated for vesicle size, entrapment efficiency, in- vitro release, surface morphology, zeta potential, and pH to select the best formulation for brain targeting. Results demonstrated that 0.1% chitosan-coated nanoliposomes (Chit-NLs) retained an optimal particle size (151.72 ± 1.37 nm), suitable for nasal delivery, with a satisfactory entrapment efficiency (64.56 ± 1.03%) and effective drug release (82.51 ± 2.15%). In contrast, 0.3% Chit-NLs exhibited larger particle sizes (> 300 nm), lower release rates, and reduced suitability for intranasal delivery. TEM and zeta potential analyses confirmed the successful chitosan coating and improved mucoadhesive properties. Based on these findings, 0.1% Chit-NLs were selected as the optimized formulation for further studies. This research supports the potential of chitosan-coated nanoliposomes for enhancing the bioavailability of Levetiracetam via the intranasal route.