Electrosprayed Core (Cellulose Acetate)-Shell (Polyvinylpyrrolidone) Nanoparticles for Smart Acetaminophen Delivery

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutics and Materials Science
• Nanotechnology and Drug Delivery

Background:

• Smart drug delivery systems are crucial for optimizing therapeutic effects by aligning drug release with biological needs.
• Biphasic release, combining pulsatile and extended release, is a key strategy for achieving rapid onset and prolonged therapeutic action.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop advanced core-shell nanoparticles for biphasic release of acetaminophen (ATP).
• To utilize cellulose acetate (CA) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) for fabricating a novel drug delivery system.
• To investigate the process-structure-performance relationship of these biomacromolecule-based nanoparticles.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of core-shell nanoparticles using a modified coaxial electrospraying process.
• Characterization of nanoparticle morphology and structure using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
• In vitro evaluation of acetaminophen release kinetics to determine pulsatile and sustained release profiles.

Main Results:

• Successfully fabricated core-shell nanoparticles with distinct double-chamber structures and spherical morphologies.
• Achieved biphasic release of acetaminophen: a rapid release of 30% in 0.32 hours and sustained release of 90% over 30.84 hours.
• Confirmed the amorphous state of acetaminophen within the nanoparticles due to excellent compatibility with CA and PVP.

Conclusions:

• The developed core-shell nanoparticles demonstrate a promising platform for smart, biphasic drug delivery.
• The biomacromolecule-based approach offers a viable strategy for designing advanced nano drug delivery systems with controlled release profiles.
• Understanding the process-structure-performance relationships is key to advancing the development of novel nanocarriers.