Synthesis of polyhydroxybutyrate nanoparticles using surfactant (Span20) for hydrophobic drug delivery

Abstract

Biopolymers like polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) are biocompatible and biodegradable, it forms nanoparticle when appropriate solvent systems are employed. Thus, they fulfill the major requirement as a drug carrier. In this study, surfactant (Span20) influenced PHB nanoparticles were prepared by nanoprecipitation method with different solvent systems i.e. Chloroform:DMSO (CD), Chloroform: Water (CW), Ethylacetate: DMSO (ED) and Ethylacetate:Water (EW). The nanoparticles were also loaded with a hydrophobic drug-curcumin. Further, the produced nanoparticles were characterized and utilized for in-vitro drug release studies. The nanoparticles were below 300nm in size and these nanoparticles were found to release the drug for longer duration i.e. more than 110 minutes. From the controlled release studies carried out against Bacillus subtilis, it was found that the nanoparticles released the encapsulated drug (Curcumin) efficiently, when acetic acid was used as the solvent system.