Sulfonato-β-Cyclodextrin Mediated Supramolecular Nanoparticle for Controlled Release of Berberine

A kind of supramolecular assemblies was constructed from two water-soluble and biocompatible saccharides, sulfonato-β-cyclodextrin (SCD) and chitosan, and characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), UV-vis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that such nanoparticles presented good stability and controlled loading/release property, which enabled them as good drug carrier for berberine chloride (BE), a representative drug from traditional Chinese herbs. That is, the nanoparticles can load BE with high stability in a low-pH environment like that of the stomach but released BE when moved to a high-pH environment like that of the intestine.