Spray-dried chitosan microspheres cross-linked with d, l-glyceraldehyde as a potential drug delivery system: preparation and characterization

Chitosan microspheres of a small particle size and with good sphericity were prepared by a spray-drying method followed by treatment with a cross-linking agent. Owing to restrictions on the use of cross-linked chitosan microspheres in the pharmaceutical field, d,l-glyceraldehyde, a biocompatible reatant was used. The parameters studied affecting extent of cross-linking were cross-linking time and concentration of the cross-linking agent. Glutaraldehyde, the aldehyde most frequently employed as chemical cross-linking agent for proteins, was also used as a control. The cross-linked spray-dried c...