Fabrication of micro-/nano-particles of biodegradable polymers and their use in cosmetic and biomedical applications

Overview & Synopsis

Biodegradable polymeric particles have attracted vast attention in cosmetic and biomedical fields because of its biocompatibility, non-toxicity, and degradability in natural environments. This study proposed the use of biodegradable polymers to fabricate the micro- and nanoparticles by several emulsification techniques. The first method was the fabrication of hollow nanoparticles which derived from poly(lactic acid-co-glycidyl methacrylate), P(LA-co-GMA) by one-step phase inversion emulsification. The influence of surfactant migration and evaporation rate play an important role in the hollow structure formation. The monodispersed hollow nanoparticles and good colloidal stability are obtained. These nanoparticles were applied to use as UV-shielding additives in cosmetic applications. The hollow nanoparticles showed high UVA&UVB shielding capability and low cytotoxicity. They also exhibited the stability under the UV exposure, and could be degraded under the hydrolysis system. The second one aimed to develop the thermoresponsive gating particles. Porous biodegradable micro/nanoparticles were prepared using Eudragit RS100 and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) via a double emulsion solvent evaporation technique. The effect of initiator types on the polymerization of NIPAM monomer was influenced by the morphology, encapsulation efficiency, and loading capacity of the drug carriers. Temperature-sensitive particles possessed a swollen conformation to block the pores and prevent the diffusion of model drug at below the volume transition temperature (TVPT). In contrast, the crosslinked PNIPAM transformed to be a hydrophobicity and collapse, allowing the gate to open and release the encapsulated compound. These thermoresponsive particles remarkably showed a precise “on-off” switchable release mechanism which is easy to control drug delivery when triggered at the body temperature. Thus, these materials have a high potential for use as UV-shielding additives in cosmetic products, and drug delivery materials in biomedical and pharmaceutical applications.