Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the potential feasibility of the N-octyl-O,N-carboxymethyl chitosan (OCC) micelles as oral administration carriers for paclitaxel (PTX) by pharmacokinetics and in situ absorption in rat intestine using Taxol as control.After oral administration of PTX-OCC micelles,the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) and the maximum concentration (c_max) were significantly larger than those of Taxol (P<0.05).Relative bioavailability for PTX-OCC micelles was 331.4% of that of Taxol.The absorption of PTX-OCC at different segments of intestine was significantly higher than those of Taxol(P<0.05).The apparent absorption rate (K_a)and the effective permeation coefficient (P_eff) at the duodenum were a little higher than those of jejunum,ileum and colon (P>0.05).In conclusion，OCC might be a promising carrier for oral administration of poorly water-soluble drugs.