This study explored the feasibility of using surface-modified nanoparticulate drug delivery system to enhance the transepithelial transport of antitumor drugs. An antitumor drug, 10-hydroxycam-ptothecin, was encapsulated into nanoparticles made of biodegradable poly(caprolactone-co-lactide)-PEG-poly(caprolactone-co-lactide)
by a novel two-step nano-precipitation method. The obtained nanoparticles had a drug loading content of 10.4% and a size of 256.3 nm, exhibiting a steady and sustained in vitro release profile. By incubation in chitosan containing medium, the drug- loaded nanoparticles could be subsequently
surface-modified with chitosan. The surface modification was monitored by dynamic light scattering method, zeta potential observation, and transmission electron microscopy, and its degree could be easily adjusted by varying the concentration of chitosan in the incubation medium. Caco-2 cell
monolayer was used as an in vitro model to evaluate the intestinal 10-hydroxycamptothecin absorption. The absorptive transport of 10-hydroxycamptothecin could be improved to some extent by drug loaded nanoparticles and could be further enhanced in the case of surface-modified nanoparticles,
suggesting that chitosan surface-modified nanoparticles may be a promising oral delivery system for antitumor drugs.