346DESIGN AND CHARACTERIZATION OF ASCORBIC ACID STABILIZED RIFAMPICIN NANOPARTICLES FOR ORAL DELIVERYRifampicin degrades in the acidic environment of stomach and its bioavailability remains problematic in controlling tuberculosis. Previous studies reveal that ascorbic acid is used to stabilize rifampicin in dissolution medium and in plasma sample against its degradation. The present study was aimed to develop nanoparticles of rifampicin using chitosan as polymer and ascorbic acid as stabilizing agent. The nanoparticles of rifampicin were prepared by ionic gelation of chitosan solution with sodium tri-poly phosphate (0.25%) using tween 80 as suspending agent and ascorbic acid as stabilizing agent and evaluated for physico-chemical characteristics, in vitro dissolution stability The nanoparticles were 202-250nm in size with polydispersity index 0.2-0.5 and zeta potential + 38 - +42 mV. The encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity of the nanoparticles were 87% and 49% respectively. Ascorbic acid significantly reduced degradation of rifampicin as nanoaparticles when compared to control formulations. The study concludes that nanoparticulate delivery of rifampicin co administered with ascorbic acid as stabilizing agent is beneficial in improving bioavailability of rifampicinnnrajendran1949@gmail.comResearch4122013Ascorbic acid,Degradation,Nanoparticles,Chitosan,Tuberculosis,RifampicinSubashini Rajaram,Rajendran NathamDepartment of Pharmaceutics, Swamy Vivekanandha College of Pharmacy, Tiruchengode, Namakkal-637205, Tamilnadu, India.,Department of Pharmaceutics, Swamy Vivekanandha College of Pharmacy, Tiruchengode, Namakkal-637205, Tamilnadu, India.