Research Article Open Access Christianah et al., J Nanomed Nanotechnol 2016, 7:3 DOI: 10.4172/2157-7439.1000374 J Nanomed Nanotechnol ISSN: 2157-7439 JNMNT, an open access journal Volume 7 • Issue 3 • 1000374 Rifampicin-loaded Silver-starch Nanocomposite for the Treatment of Multi-resistant Tuberculosis Isimi Christianah 1 , Asha Rodrigues 2 , Okafor Ijeoma 1 , Okoh Judith 1 , Aboh Mercy 3 and Emeje Martins Ochubiojo 1 * 1 National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Centre for Nanomedicine and Biophysical Drug delivery, Abuja, Nigeria 2 Physical and Materials Chemistry Division, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, India 3 National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Abuja, Nigeria Abstract Extraction, purifcation and synthesis of acetylated cassava starch was undertaken. The degree of modifcation for the acetylated (modifed) starch was calculated to be 0.03. Physicochemical indices interrogated were all signifcantly (P<0.05) affected by the acetylation. Microstructural studies revealed starches that were predominantly polygonal in shape. The FTIR results confrmed introduction of an acetyl group with a new band at 1728 cm -1 . The results further show that, the modifcation did not degrade the granule morphology, but x-ray pattern showed increased crystallinity in the acetylated derivative. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry revealed 2 phase decomposition of both starches and improved gelation capacity with new peaks respectively. Rifampicin (RIF) loaded starch-stabilized silver nanoparticles yielded good mean particle size (248 nm), polydispersity index (0.276) and zeta potential (18.68 mV). There was a signifcant (P<0.01) sustained release of RIF from the nano formulations up to 14.0 h. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests show that, the nano formulation exhibited good antimicrobial activity. It is therefore concluded that, acetylated cassava starch could be a good stabilizer and vehicle for drug delivery. *Corresponding author: Emeje Martins Ochubiojo, National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Centre for Nanomedicine and Biophysical Drug delivery, Abuja, Nigeria, Tel: +2348037035738; E-mail: martinsemeje@yahoo.com Received March 29, 2016; Accepted April 13, 2016; Published April 25, 2016 Citation: Christianah I, Rodrigues A, Ijeoma O, Judith O, Mercy A, et al. (2016) Rifampicin-loaded Silver-starch Nanocomposite for the Treatment of Multi-resistant Tuberculosis. J Nanomed Nanotechnol 7: 374. doi:10.4172/2157-7439.1000374 Copyright: © 2016 Christianah I, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Keywords: Cassava starch; Acetylation; Physicochemical properties; Nanoformulation; Rifampicin Introduction Cassava, Manihot esculenta Crantz is an important food crop in Nigeria, growing well in all upland conditions from the humid regions of the south to the semi-arid regions of the middle belt. Although Nigeria is the largest producer of cassava (an abundant source of starch) in the world [1], there is no scientifcally acceptable processing technology, and the Pharmaceutical Industries in Nigeria still import 100% starch, implying lack of value addition to starch-based sources like cassava in Nigeria. Starch and starch derivatives play very important roles in biopolymer industries [2]. Tis is because they are cheap, non-toxic, renewable and compatible with many other materials for industrial applications. Applications in food [3,4], environmental management [5,6], agriculture [7], pharmacy [8], biomedical engineering [9] and textiles [10] have been reported widely in the literature. Native starch are generally unsuitable for many industrial applications largely because they are not amenable to the harsh conditions [2]. To overcome this shortcoming, modifcations are usually done to enhance or repress the inherent property of these native starches or to impact new properties to meet the requirements for specifc applications. Processing technology has been reported to afect the biochemical properties of starches [2,11-14]. In a separate report, dry processing of Faba beans resulted in some cellulose and lignin being present in the starch [12], while the use of enzymes in the biosynthesis and isolation of starch from three varieties of maize hybrids has been reported to afect its biochemical properties [12,13]. As a matter of fact, we opine that, the signifcance of various modifcations on starches of diferent origins which has been expounded in the literature [10,13,15-21], would only be more meaningful now if we start looking at the application of these derivatives in drug delivery, hence this study. Te therapeutic outcome of drug administration depends to a great extent on its efective and efcient release from its dosage form without which the disease may aggravate further [22]. A typical example of this is witnessed in the case of the frst line drugs of tuberculosis. Tuberculosis (TB) patients are usually prescribed multiple oral administrations of the frst line drugs (e.g., rifampicin) daily for at least six months. Tis makes patient adherence to the prescribed drugs difcult, thereby precluding efective treatment of the disease [22]. Tere is urgency therefore in not only discovering new drug molecules but also for developing new efective drug delivery systems [22]. Such a system should have sustained release property in order to facilitate the release of the drug over a longer period of time so that multiple daily administration of the drug is not required [22,23]. Starch based drug delivery systems [24-31] have been proposed with its implicit advantages of targeted delivery in enhancing its therapeutic value and sustained release minimizing frequent drug dosing [32]. Modifed starches also have found useful applications in the pharmaceutical, food, paper and textile industries as binders, disintegrants, fllers, emulsion stabilizers, adhesives and are currently attracting the interest of researchers in this respect. Te aim of the work reported herein was to undertake a comprehensive investigation of the starch obtained from Manihot esculentus, secondly, to chemically modify the starch by acetylation and investigate the efect of the acetylation on the physicochemical and functional properties of the starch and fnally to evaluate the ability of the acetylated starch to deliver rifampicin appropriately. Journal of Nanomedicine & Nanotechnology J o u r n a l o f N a n o m e d i c i n e & N a n o t e c h n o l o g y ISSN: 2157-7439