Synthesis and Characterization of Polymeric Nanoparticles Formed from Cowry Shells and Acacia Gum Extracts

The study investigated the morphology, dimension, and composition of polymeric nanomaterials obtained from cowry shells and Acacia tree gum arabic extracts. Chitosan and gum arabic were extracted from cowry shells and Acacia trees respectively using standard chemical methods. These were used to produce the chitosan nanoparticles using ionic gelation technique. Observation with a Jeol JSM 7600F Field Emission Gun Ultra-High Resolution Scanning Electron Microscope confirmed the formation of distinct particles composed of smooth ovals, spheres and short cylinders. The nanoparticles were found to have a mean size of 150 nm as measured from a Philips 120 kV EM420 transmission electron microscope. The chemical analysis result obtained from the X-Ray fluorescence studies along with the morphology and dimension of the nanoparticles suggested that the developed nanomaterials are suitable as nanocarriers for targeted drug delivery applications.