Silk Fibroin Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery: Effect of Bovine Serum Albumin and Magnetic Nanoparticles Addition on Drug Encapsulation and Release

• Main Authors: Olga Gianak, Eleni Pavlidou, Charalambos Sarafidis, Vassilis Karageorgiou, Eleni Deliyanni
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2018-04-01
• Series: Separations
• Subjects: silk fibroin; drug delivery; magnetic silk fibroin; bovine serum albumin
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2297-8739/5/2/25
• ISSN: 2297-8739

Silk fibroin nanoparticles were prepared in the present study based on phase separation between silk fibroin and polyvinyl alcohol. The drug encapsulation efficiency of the prepared nanoparticles was examined at a range of concentrations from 10 ppm to 500 ppm for pramipexole, curcumin, and propranolol hydrochloride. Silk fibroin nanoparticles encapsulated with propranolol presented the highest drug release profile. In order to improve the drug encapsulation efficiency and drug release performance, a modification of silk fibroin nanoparticles with bovine serum albumin and magnetic nanoparticles was tried. The modification was found to improve the drug encapsulation and release of the modified nanoparticles. Bovine-serum-modified nanoparticles presented the best improvement.