Turkish Journal of Chemistry
Abstract
Microorganisms remain a major cause of infectious diseases, emphasizing the need for alternative and complementary antimicrobial strategies. In this context, plant-derived materials have attracted increasing attention for their antimicrobial and protective properties. Chitosan, a biocompatible and cationic biopolymer, has emerged as an effective carrier system for encapsulating such plant-derived components. In this study, chitosan microparticles were prepared through ionic gelation followed by spray drying and loaded with thyme oil and olive leaf extract. The resulting microparticles exhibited an average size of approximately 1.8 μm and a total phenolic content of 23 mg GAE/g. These microparticles were incorporated into a glycerin–starch ointment to develop a nasal barrier formulation. The formulation showed physicochemical properties compatible with intranasal administration, with pH values in the range of 5–7. The antibacterial activity of the formulation was tested in vivo using BALB/c mice, in which a time-dependent reduction in microbial viability was observed after intranasal administration. Overall, these results suggest that chitosan-based microparticle systems containing plant-derived components could serve as nasal barrier formulations with supportive antibacterial effects.
Author ORCID Identifier
GÜLİZ AK: 0000-0001-9613-6348
AYÇA EREK: 0000-0003-3029-9560
TUĞBA KARAKAYALI: 0000-0002-1044-5535
ŞADİYE ÇETİN: 0009-0001-2412-0950
ŞENAY ŞANLIER: 0000-0001-6532-7221
DOI
10.55730/1300-0527.3908
Keywords
Chitosan microparticles, nasal barrier formulation, olive leaf extract, thyme oil, spray drying, antibacterial activity
First Page
438
Last Page
447
Publisher
The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK)
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
AK, G, EREK, A, KARAKAYALI, T, ÇETİN, Ş, & ŞANLIER, Ş (2026). Chitosan microparticle-based antibacterial nasal barrier formulation and in vivo evaluations. Turkish Journal of Chemistry 50 (4): 438-447. https://doi.org/10.55730/1300-0527.3908
