Abstract
A novel solution-enhanced dispersion by supercritical CO2(SEDS) was employed to prepare silk fibroin (SF) nanoparticles. The resulting SF nanoparticles exhibited a good spherical shape, a smooth surface, and a narrow particle size distribution with a mean particle diameter of about 50 nm. The results of X-ray powder diffraction, thermo gravimetry- differential scanning calorimetry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis of the SF nanoparticles before and after ethanol treatment indicated conformation transition of SF nanoparticles from random coil to β-sheet form and thus water insolubility. The MTS assay also suggested that the SF nanoparticles after ethanol treatment imposed no toxicity. A non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, indomethacin (IDMC), was chosen as the model drug and was encapsulated in SF nanoparticles by the SEDS process. The resulting IDMC-SF nanoparticles, after ethanol treatment, possessed a theoretical average drug load of 20%, an actual drug load of 2.05%, and an encapsulation efficiency of 10.23%. In vitro IDMC release from the IDMC-SF nanoparticles after ethanol treatment showed a significantly sustained release over 2 days. These studies of SF nanoparticles indicated the suitability of the SF nanoparticles prepared by the SEDS process as a biocompatible carrier to deliver drugs and also the feasibility of using the SEDS process to reach the goal of co-precipitation of drug and SF as composite nanoparticles for controlled drug delivery. 2012.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 736 |
Journal | Journal of Nanoparticle Research |
Volume | 14 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 23 Mar 2012 |
Keywords
- Drug delivery
- Indomethacin
- Nanoparticles
- Silk fibroin
- Supercritical CO 2
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Bioengineering
- Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
- General Chemistry
- Modelling and Simulation
- General Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics