title: A systematic evaluation of hydroxyethyl starch as a potential nanocarrier for parenteral drug delivery.
abstract: Development of parenteral nanoformulations is highly challenging due to the stringent demands on stability, reproducibility and high drug loading with minimal excipients. This study focuses on the development of a pharmaceutically acceptable nanomatrix system for parenteral delivery based on Hydroxyethyl Starch (HES), a FDA approved polymer that is relatively unexplored in drug delivery research. HES nanoparticles were prepared through a simple, two-step crosslinking-precipitation route, yielding 160±5 nm, nearly monodispersed spherical particles with high colloidal stability. The utility of this nanocarrier for parenteral delivery was verified by a panel of hemo/cytocompatibility assays at high concentrations (0.05-1 mg/ml) in vitro and in vivo. HES nanomatrix was found effective in encapsulating two chemically distinct drugs having varying hydrophobicities, with the release behavior being influenced by their chemical nature and drug-matrix interactions. Better in vitro efficacy was measured for the nanoencapsulated drug than its bare form, establishing the potential of HES nanocarriers for controlled drug delivery.
authors.affiliation: Amrita Centre for Nanosciences & Molecular Medicine, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kochi 682 041, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Dhanya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Narayanan
authors.affiliation: Amrita Centre for Nanosciences & Molecular Medicine, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kochi 682 041, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Shantikumar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.affiliation: Amrita Centre for Nanosciences & Molecular Medicine, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kochi 682 041, Kerala, India. Electronic address: deepthymenon@aims.amrita.edu.
authors.forename: Deepthy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Menon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D003102:Colloids; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D065546:Drug Liberation; D005612:Freeze Drying; D006801:Humans; D006895:Hydroxyethyl Starch Derivatives / Q000737:chemistry*; D007052:Ibuprofen / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D007213:Indomethacin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008422:Materials Testing; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman; D023382:Toxicity Tests, Acute
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003102:Colloids; D004337:Drug Carriers; D006895:Hydroxyethyl Starch Derivatives; D007052:Ibuprofen; D007213:Indomethacin
keywords: Crosslinking-precipitation; Hemocompatibility; Hydroxyethyl starch; Nanoparticles; Parenteral drug delivery