Novel cationic cellulose beads for oral delivery of poorly water-soluble drugs.

Cellulose beads emerge as carriers for poorly water-soluble drugs due to their eco-friendly raw materials and favorable porous structure. However, drug dissolution may be limited by their poor swelling ability and the presence of closed pores caused by shrinkage of the pristine cellulose beads. In this study, novel cellulose beads that can swell in acidic environment were prepared by introducing ethylenediamine (EDA) on dialdehyde cellulose (DAC), thereby addressing the shrinkage and closed pore problem of cellulose beads.