title: Development of a nanoparticle system based on a fructose polymer: Stability and drug release studies.
abstract: New drug delivery systems (DDSs) with levan or its carboxymethylated form, as carriers, and 5-fluorouracil as a drug, are produced in this work. Levan is obtained after cultivating A. nectaris and polymer nanoparticles are created in water by a self-assembled process. The effect of pH and the ionic strength on polymer nanoparticles aggregation is studied. Basic pHs produces a particle size between 300 and 400nm with a Z-potential around -20mV because a basic medium promotes repulsion forces. DDSs of 300-400nm and a Z-potential about -25mV are prepared by taking advantage of the amphiphilic properties of the levan. The drug is bound to either levan or carboxymethyllevan surfaces by electrostatic interactions, obtaining the best results at basic pHs. 45-70% of the drug is released from the levan in 23h depending on the pH preparation, whereas only a low percentage of the drug is released from the carboxymethyllevan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Salamanca, Plaza Los Caídos s/n, 37008 Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tabernero
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Salamanca, Plaza Los Caídos s/n, 37008 Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: Álvaro
authors.initials: Á
authors.lastname: González-Garcinuño
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Salamanca, Plaza Los Caídos s/n, 37008 Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: José Mª
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Álvarez
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Salamanca, Plaza Los Caídos s/n, 37008 Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: Miguel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Galán
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Salamanca, Plaza Los Caídos s/n, 37008 Salamanca, Spain. Electronic address: emvalle@usal.es.
authors.forename: Eva M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Martín Del Valle
mesh_terms: D004337:Drug Carriers; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D065546:Drug Liberation; D004355:Drug Stability; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000737:chemistry*; D005630:Fructans / Q000737:chemistry*; D005632:Fructose / Q000737:chemistry*; D053758:Nanoparticles; D010316:Particle Size; D011108:Polymers
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D005630:Fructans; D011108:Polymers; D005632:Fructose; C072599:levan; D005472:Fluorouracil
keywords: 5-Fluorouracil; Carboxymethyllevan; Levan