Self-assembly of ibuprofen and bovine serum albumin-dextran conjugates leading to effective loading of the drug

A simple and green process of simultaneous formation of albumin nanoparticles and encapsulation of hydrophobic drugs in aqueous solution was developed. Bovine serum albumin (BSA)-dextran conjugates were prepared through the Maillard reaction. Ibuprofen was used as a drug model. The solubility of protonated ibuprofen decreases, and then precipitation occurs when the pH of saturated ibuprofen solution is changed from alkali to acidic value. In the presence of the conjugates, a binding of ibuprofen with BSA through hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions can suppress the precipitation of ibuprofen. After a heat treatment, the gelation of BSA results in the formation of nanoparticles and fixing of the ibuprofen in the core. The nanoparticles were characterized with dynamic and static light scattering, ζ-potential, and transmission electron microscopy. The nanoparticles are of spherical shape having a hydrodynamic diameter of about 70 nm. As much as 0.7 unit weight of ibuprofen can be loaded into one unit weight of the conjugates. The dextran conjugated to BSA stabilizes the nanoparticles in aqueous solution.