Crosslinked polysaccharide nanocapsules: preparation and drug release properties

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Polysaccharide-based microcapsules offer biocompatibility and tunable properties.
• Developing stable, hollow capsules for controlled release applications is an ongoing challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate crosslinked polysaccharide and composite polysaccharide capsules.
• To investigate the structural, stability, and drug release characteristics of these novel capsules.

Main Methods:

• Interfacial polymerization of methacrylated N,N-diethylaminoethyl dextran (DdexMA) and DdexMA-vinyl terminated polylactide macromonomers (PLAM).
• Fabrication of hollow capsules using chloroform droplets as templates.
• Characterization using confocal laser scanning microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, Fourier transform infrared, and elemental analysis.

Main Results:

• Successfully fabricated hollow polysaccharide capsules (200 nm to several microns) with thin walls.
• Confirmed good stability against coagulation and characterized capsule composition.
• Demonstrated sustained release of ibuprofen for up to 100 hours, with DdexMA-PLAM capsules showing slower release rates.

Conclusions:

• Crosslinked DdexMA and DdexMA-PLAM capsules can be effectively fabricated via interfacial polymerization.
• These capsules exhibit excellent stability and potential for controlled drug delivery applications.
• The composite DdexMA-PLAM capsules demonstrate enhanced drug release modulation.