Preparation and Drug-Loading Properties of Amphoteric Cassava Starch Nanoparticles

Abstract

Based on the characteristics of charge reversal around the isoelectric point (pI) of amphoteric starch-containing anionic and cationic groups, amphoteric cassava starch nanoparticles (CA-CANPs) are prepared by a W/O microemulsion crosslinking method using (3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl) trimethyl ammonium chloride as a cationic reagent and POCl3 as an anionic reagent, and the effects of preparation conditions on the particle size of the CA-CANPs are studied in detail in the present study. CA-CANPs with a smooth surface and an average diameter of 252 nm are successfully prepared at the following optimised conditions: a crosslinking agent amount of 15 wt%, an aqueous starch concentration of 6.0 wt%, an oil–water ratio of 10:1, a total surfactant amount of 0.20 g·mL−1, and a CHPTAC amount of 4.05 wt%. The pH-responsive value of the CA-CANPs can be regulated by adjusting the nitrogen–phosphorus molar ratio in the CA-CANPs. By using CA-CANPs with a pI of 6.89 as drug carriers and the paclitaxel (PTX) as a model drug, the maximum loading rate of 36.14 mg·g−1 is achieved, and the loading process is consistent with the Langmuir isotherm adsorption, with the calculated thermodynamic parameters of ΔH° = −37.91 kJ·mol−1, ΔS° = −10.96 J·mol−1·K−1 and ΔG° < 0. By testing the release rate in vitro, it is noted that the release rates of PTX in a neutral environment (37.6% after 96 h) and a slightly acidic environment (58.65% after 96 h) are quite different, suggesting that the CA-CANPs have the possibility of being a targeted controlled-release carrier with pH responsiveness for antitumor drugs.

Biopolymeric Nanoparticles–Multifunctional Materials of the Future

“…Xie et al prepared cassava starch nanoparticles via the microemulsion method, using POCl 3 as a crosslinking agent. In this work, the adsorption of the anticancer drug paclitaxel (PTX, C 47 H 51 NO 14 ) onto starch nanoparticles was studied, and the kinetics of the process were studied; 94.19% of free PTX was released from the dialysis bag in 0.9% saline (pH = 7) within 8 h. Compared with free PTX, the release rate of CA-CSNP-loaded PTX was 17.04% after 8 h and 37.61% after 96 h under the same conditions, showing the possibility of prolonging the therapeutic effect of the drug, which can improve the effectiveness of antitumor therapy [ 93 ]. All of this confirms the high prospects for the use of starch nanoparticles as drug carriers to provide a targeted effect on tumor cells.…”

Recent Trends in the Preparation of Nano-Starch Particles

“…Entrapment effectiveness and in vitro release were used to assess the sustained release of medicines. Xie et al [ 113 ] reported that, due to the lower crystallinity of anionic and cationic groups, amphoteric cassava starch nanoparticles (CA-CANPs) encourage the drug to be loaded inside nanoparticles, improving the drug loading capacity and maintaining slow-release performance in a typical body fluid environment. Troncoso and Torres [ 114 ] clarified that, due to their hydrophobic characteristics, acetylated and hydroxypropylated starches are also among the most beneficial starches for drug-delivery applications ( Figure 7 ).…”

Nanostructure Design of Catalysts: Latest Advances and Prospects

“…This Special Issue of Nanomaterials, entitled “Nanostructure Design of Catalysts: Latest Advances and Prospects”, combines relevant research and review contributions that cover the latest nanocatalysts. This Special Issue covers thermal catalysis [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ], photocatalysis [ 9 ], electrocatalysis [ 10 ], and adsorbent nanomaterials [ 11 , 12 , 13 ]. It contains six research papers on nanometer materials for catalysts, including for thermal catalysis, photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, and other fields, which provide some new ideas for the nanostructure design of catalysts.…”

“…Finally, the study by Xie et al [ 12 ] used (3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl) trimethyl ammonium chloride as a cationic reagent. POCl 3 was used as an anionic reagent, which was prepared by the W/O microemulsion crosslinking method of amphoplastic cassava starch nanoparticles (CA-CANPs).…”