Dopamine is unable to access the central nervous system through the bloodstream. Only its precursor can do so, and with an effectiveness below 100% of the dose administered, as it is metabolized before crossing the blood-brain barrier. In this study, we describe a new solid lipid nanocarrier system designed and developed for dopamine. The nanoparticles were prepared by the melt-emulsification method and then coated with chitosan. The nanocarriers developed had a droplet size of about 250 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.2, a positive surface charge (+30 mV), and a percentage encapsulation efficiency of 36.3 ± 5.4. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy verified uniformity of particle size with spherical morphology. Various types of tests were performed to confirm that the nanoparticles designed are suitable for carrying dopamine through the blood-brain barrier. In vitro tests demonstrated the ability of these nanocarriers to pass through endothelial cell monolayers without affecting their integrity. This study shows that the formulation of dopamine in chitosan-coated solid lipid nanoparticles is a potentially viable formulation strategy to achieve the bioavailability of the drug for the treatment of Parkinson's disease in the central nervous system.
Keywords: Chitosan; In vitro BBB model; Nanocarriers; Neurodegenerative diseases; Parkinson's disease; Solid lipid nanoparticles.
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