Manufacture Techniques of Chitosan-Based Microparticles and Nanoparticles for Biopharmaceuticals

This book chapter describes preparative methods of chitosan based micro- and nano- particles on the basis of the principles of used techniques. The attention is focused on the following approaches: water-in-oil emulsion and chemical cross-linking, drying techniques (spray-drying, supercritical fluid drying and electrospraying), ionic cross-linking with low molecular weight molecules and macromolecular cross-linking agents, coacervation/precipitation. Finally the same methods are reviewed focusing on the delivery of nucleic acids.