Freeze-drying of low molecular weight poly(L-lactic acid) nanoparticles: effect of cryo- and lyoprotectants

The chemical and physical stability of polymeric nanoparticles is poor in aqueous suspensions, and the drying of these particles is often problematic. In the present study, the stability of freeze-dried low molecular weight poly(L-lactic acid) (PLA) nanoparticles was enhanced by adding glucose and/or lactose to the formulation as cryo- and lyoprotectants, respectively. Also the effect of an extra stabilizer, Tween 80, was studied. The best freeze-dried PLA nanoparticle formulations were achieved, when glucose and lactose were added in combination so that the amount of lactose was double the amount of glucose. With this combination the redispersion of high-quality nanoparticles (homogenous particle dispersion with original size and without aggregates) was achieved. The addition of Tween 80 further improved the quality of freeze-dried PLA nanoparticles by facilitating the redispersion of the lyophilized cake into optimal nanoparticles.