Preparation and release efficiency of poly (lactic-co-glycolic) acid nanoparticles for drug loaded paclitaxel

Abstract

As a new drug delivery carrier, medical nanoparticles appears to be very promising and are widely studied. This work was to prepare poly (lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) nanoparticles for drug loaded paclitaxel using the emulsion solvent evaporation technique. Tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate(TPGS), as a new emulsifier, which has amphiphilic structure comprising lipophilic alkyl tail and hydrophilic polar head portion, played a key role in emulsion technique. The systems were characterized by light scattering analysis for their mean size and size distribution and by scanning electron microscopy for surface morphology. Nanoparticles drug loading efficiency and encapsulation efficiency and ability of in vitro drug release were assessed by ultraviolet spectroscopy. As a result, the nanoparticles were uniformly spherical with average diameter of 250 nm, drug loading efficiency of 4.84%, and encapsulation efficiency of 67.35%. The in vitro release curves of paclitaxel-loaded nanoparticles appeared to be two-staged. In the first day, the initial burst was observed. After that the release of paclitaxel was at a constant rate. © 2008 Springer-Verlag.