Preparation and in vitro Characterization of Hydrogel-based Nanoparticles Loaded by sodium valproate.

Valproate sodium, an antiepileptic drug, believed to work by increasing brain levels of gamma amino butyric acid (GABA), is the sole and adjunct therapy of simple and complex absence seizure beside other seizure types. Therapeutic serum levels of valproate in most patients with seizures range from 50 to100 mcg/ml; however, good correlation has not been established between daily dose, serum level, and therapeutic effect [1]. Meanwhile Chitosan nanoparticles fabricated via different preparation protocols have been widely studied in recent years as carriers for therapeutic small molecules [2], proteins [3] and genes [4] with varying degree of effectiveness and drawbacks. This work seeks to further explore the polyionic coacervation fabrication process, and associated processing conditions under which sodium valproate encapsulation and subsequent release can be systematically and predictably manipulated so as to obtain desired effectiveness