A novel type of reduction-sensitive
starch nanoparticles was prepared via the reversed-phase microemulsion method by using crosslinker, N,N-bisacryloylcystamine (BAC) with the
disulfide linkages, which was specifically cleaved by
dithiothreitol (DTT).
Starch nanoparticles had a spherical morphology with a small size of 40 nm in the optimal condition. The influences of process parameters (
starch amount,
surfactant amount and oil/water (O/W) ratio) on the size of
starch nanoparticles were studied by dynamic light scattering (DLS). BAC crosslinked
starch nanoparticles were degraded into oligomers with the
reducing agent of DTT due to the cleavage of the
disulfide linkages. A model
drug 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA) could be loaded efficiently into
starch nanoparticles and the in vitro drug release behaviors were also studied. The results suggested that the
disulfide crosslinked
starch nanoparticles exhibited an accelerated drug release behavior in the presence of DTT. In vitro methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assays indicated that BAC crosslinked
starch nanoparticles had a good biocompatibility when cocultured with human HeLa
cancer cells. Hence, with excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability, and rapid drug release in response to DTT, BAC crosslinked
starch nanoparticles showed a great potential as a
biomaterial carrier for the application of
drug controlled release. In contrast to BAC crosslinked
starch nanoparticles, N,N-methylenebisacrylamine (MBA) crosslinked
starch nanoparticles were prepared as the control without the
disulfide linkages.