Hemoglobin loaded polymeric nanoparticles: Preparation and characterizations

In the present work polymeric nanoparticles based on Poly (maleic anhydride-alt-butyl vinyl ether) 5% grafted with m-PEG (2000) and 95% grafted with 2-methoxyethanol (VAM41-PEG) were loaded with human hemoglobin (Hb) and characterized from a physicochemical point of view. The assessment of structural and functional features of the loaded Hb was performed and the effect of the introduction of different reducing agents as aimed at minimizing Hb oxidation during the nanoparticles formulation process, was also investigated. Nanoparticles possessing an average diameter of 138 +/- 10 nm and physicochemical features suitable for this kind of application were successfully obtained. Although the oxidation of the protein was not avoided during its loading into nanoparticles, the presence of acidic moieties in the polymeric structure is proposed to be directly involved in the protein inactivation mechanism. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.