Drug incorporation and release of water soluble drugs from novel functionalised poly(glycerol adipate) nanoparticles

We have previously demonstrated the ability of poly(glycerol adipate) backbone (PGA) and PGA polymer backbone substituted with varying amounts of pendant C-18 chain length acyl groups to yield Dexamethasone phosphate DXMP loaded nanoparticles. The aim of this study was to obtain a deeper understanding of the underlying principles responsible for good drug incorporation and controlled release of drugs from poly (glycerol adipate) (PGA) nanoparticles. We compared the incorporation of the water soluble drugs DXMP and Cytosine arabinoside (CYT-ARA) in both unmodified and substituted PGA polymers. We investigated the effect of change in acyl group chain length and the degree of substitution on the physicochemical properties, drug loading and release of DXMP and CYT-ARA. Nanoparticles were prepared by the interfacial deposition technique and the simultaneous emulsification method.

Amongst the nanoparticles prepared using acylated polymers with varying chain lengths (C-2 to C-10) for DXMP incorporation, polymers with acyl group chain lengths containing 8 carbon atoms (C-8) showed maximum drug incorporation. Amongst the C-8 series, polymers with 100% acylation provided both good drug incorporation and a controlled release for DXMP while for CYT-ARA it was the unsubstituted polymer backbone that had maximum drug loading and slower release.

A number of inter-related factors are responsible for producing particles with particular size, zeta potential, drug loading and release characteristics. Drug loading and release from nanoparticles are primarily influenced by the nature of interactions between the drug and polymers which in turn depend upon the type of drug used and the physical chemistry of the polymer.