DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW COLLOIDAL DRUG CARRIER FROM CHEMICALLY-MODIFIED CYCLODEXTRINS - NANOSPHERES AND INFLUENCE OF PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS ON PARTICLE-SIZE

A new nanosphere carrier system has been obtained from amphiphilic bet a-cyclodextrin (fatty acid chains varying from 2 to 14 carbons grafted at the O-2 and O-3 positions of beta-cyclodextrin). The nanospheres, with a mean diameter varying between 90 and 150 nm, are prepared by pr ogressive dispersion of an organic Solution of modified P-cyclodextrin in an aqueous phase with or without surfactant. Various physicochemic al parameters have been studied: the effect of the chain length of acy l groups (beta CD with 6, 12 and 14 fatty acid carbons), and type of s urfactant on the size and physicochemical properties and stability of the nanospheres. A preliminary investigation of water-soluble and inso luble drug entrapment by nanospheres was carried out.