Nanoparticles Based on Novel Carbohydrate-Functionalized Polymers

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Drug Delivery

Background:

• Polymeric nanoparticles are crucial for advanced healthcare drug delivery systems.
• Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) are versatile polymers for nanoparticle matrices.
• Functionalization with specific moieties enhances nanoparticle targeting and efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To functionalize PLGA and PEG polymers with coumarin and carbohydrate groups (thymidine, glucose, galactose, mannose).
• To prepare and characterize functionalized nanoparticles for potential drug delivery applications.
• To investigate the impact of functionalization on nanoparticle formation and properties.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a single oil-in-water emulsion method for nanoparticle preparation.
• Functionalized PLGA and PEG polymers with coumarin and various carbohydrate moieties.
• Characterized nanoparticle size, polydispersity index, and zeta potential.

Main Results:

• Successfully prepared functionalized PLGA nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 114-289 nm.
• Achieved nanoparticles with smooth surfaces, low polydispersity, and zeta potentials between -28.2 and -56.0 mV.
• PEG derivatives resulted in film formation instead of nanoparticles due to limited hydrophobic core size.

Conclusions:

• Functionalized PLGA nanoparticles are viable for drug delivery systems.
• The methodology is effective for creating targeted nanoparticles with controlled characteristics.
• Challenges exist in forming PEG nanoparticles with the current approach, requiring further optimization.