pH-responsive Chitosan/alginate as a Suitable Nanocarrier for Efficient Oral Delivery of Catechin in Aluminum Chloride-induced Brain Injury

Although, numerous clinical studies have shown the efficacy of catechin as a main bioactive compound in green tea, which has demonstrated a capacity in prevention and treatment of a wide range of diseases, it has poor potential for bioavailability and absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. This study is aimed to investigate the effect of chitosan alginate nanocarriers encapsulated catechin in an aluminum chloride-induced dementia paradigm. The catechin-loaded chitosan-alginate nanocarriers were synthesized by ionotropic gelation (IG) technique. Physio-chemical characterization has been done by Zetasizer Nano system, Scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The synthesized nanoparticles showed optimal dimensions in the range of 45–50 nm. The memory impairment model was induced by injecting aluminum chloride (100 mg/kg) for 21 days. Treatment with aluminum chloride increased the AChE activity by inducing memory impairment (p < 0.001). Moreover, free and nanoencapsulated catechin exhibited improvement in memory function in comparison to other groups. This leads to preservation of TAC levels, AChE and CAT enzyme activity similar to those in control animals group. The use of chitosan to encapsulate catechin offers an innovative therapeutic formulation to improve memory function and gain new insights for nanomedicine drug against Alzheimer's disease.