Poly(butylcyanoacrylate) nanoparticles for topical delivery of 5-fluorouracil

Poly(butylcyanoacrylate) nanoparticles (PBCN) as a drug carrier of 5-fluorouracil (5FU) intended for topical treatment of skin lesia were investigated. The presence of 5FU (as saline solution, pH 10-11) in the polymerization medium affected the polymerization as well as the nanoparticle formation by influencing the initiation of the polymerization reaction. 5FU acted as an initiator in the anionic polymerization of n-butylcyanoacrylate monomer through its nucleophilic nitrogen centers. The results obtained by GPC, 1H NMR, and X-ray diffraction allude to a possible mechanism of cytostatic immobilization in the polymer matrix, with evidence for both free and bound forms of the drug.