Aim To evaluate the inhibitory effect of chitosan-cysteine conjugate onenzymatic degradation and hypogly-cemic enhancement effect of insulin. Methods Chitosan-cysteineconjugate was synthesized. The protective effect of the conjugate against degradation of insulin byα-chymotrypsin and trypsin was evaluated in vitro. Insulin enteric- microspheres were prepared byusing O_1 /Q_2 emulsion solvent evaporation method. The hypoglycemic enhancement effect of theconjugate was studied by oral administration of insulin solution or enteric-microspheres to rats.Results The thiol group content of the synthesized conjugate was about 200 μmol·g^(-1) polymer,which showed a strong protective effect on insulin from enzymatic degradation in vitro. Almost allthe insulin incubated in a-chymotrypsin solution or trypsin solution without chitosan-cysteineconjugate was degraded entirely within 1 h and 5 h respectively, whereas above 75% of insulinremained in the same content of the enzymatic solution containing 4 mg·mL^(-1) conjugate. The drugloading of insulin enteric-microspheres was about 7% . In vivo experiment, chitosan-cysteineconjugate (85 μg·kg^(-1)) prolonged the hypoglycemic time of insulin solution orenteric-microspheres when administered simultaneously with the absorption enhancer SNAC. ConclusionChitosan-cysteine conjugate has a marked inhibitory effect on the enzymatic degradation of insulinin vitro, and it displays a significant hypoglycemic enhancement effect on insulin oral formulationin vivo.
