Carboxymethyl guar gum nanoparticles for drug delivery applications: Preparation and preliminary in-vitro investigations

• Published in: Materials Science & Engineering C Vol. 63; pp. 628 - 636
• Main Authors: Dodi, G., Pala, A., Barbu, E., Peptanariu, D., Hritcu, D., Popa, M.I., Tamba, B.I.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.06.2016
• Subjects: Carboxymethyl guar gum; Cell Line; Cell Survival - drug effects; Cross-Linking Reagents - chemistry; Cytotoxicity; Drug Carriers - chemistry; Drug delivery; Drug delivery systems; Drug Liberation; Drugs; Dynamic Light Scattering; Galactans - chemistry; Guar gum; Humans; Light scattering; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Mannans - chemistry; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Nanoparticles; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Nanostructure; Particle Size; Phosphate; Plant Gums - chemistry; Polysaccharides; Rhodamines - chemistry; Rhodamines - metabolism; Rhodamines - toxicity; Scanning electron microscopy; Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Nanoparticles; Cytotoxicity; Drug delivery; Phosphate; Carboxymethyl guar gum
• ISSN: 0928-4931; 1873-0191
• DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2016.03.032

Carboxymethyl guar gum (CMGG) synthesized from commercially available polysaccharide was formulated into nanoparticles via ionic gelation using trisodium trimetaphosphate (STMP) as cross-linking agent. Characterisation using a range of analytical techniques (FTIR, NMR, GPC, TGA and DLS) confirmed the CMGG structure and revealed the effect of the CMGG and STMP concentration on the main characteristics of the obtained nanoformulations. The average nanoparticle diameter was found to be around 208nm, as determined by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). Experiments using simulated gastric and intestinal fluids evidenced significant pH-dependent drug release behaviour of the nanoformulations loaded with Rhodamine B (RhB) as a model drug (loading capacity in excess of 83%), as monitored by UV–Vis. While dose-dependent cytotoxicity was observed, the nanoformulations appeared completely non-toxic at concentrations below 0.3mg/mL. Results obtained so far suggest that carboxymethylated guar gum nanoparticles formulated with STMP warrant further investigations as polysaccharide based biocompatible drug nanocarriers. [Display omitted] •Carboxymethyl guar gum nanoparticles preparation by ionic gelation•The optimum synthesis system designed particles around 200nm•The nanoformulations appeared completely non-toxic at specific concentrations•The loaded formulations evidenced significant pH-dependent drug release behaviour•The results encourage further investigations as polysaccharidic drug nanocarriers