Formulation and in vitro evaluation of biodegradablepolymeric nanoparticle formulations containing paclitaxel

Paclitaxel (PTX) has been described as one of the effective antineoplastic agents developed in recent years. It is used alone or in combination with other chemotherapy agents for the treatment of solid tumors including ovarian, breast, lung, head and neck cancers. It is generally administered intravenously, and its low solubility and narrow therapeutic index in water and many pharmaceutical solvents limit its clinical use. In order to overcome the drawbacks mentioned, PTX has been formulated with many modern drug delivery systems. Among these new systems, natural or synthetic origin biodegradable polymeric systems are used due to their efficacy in controlled release. Polymeric nanoparticles containing PTX were formulated with Kollidon® SR; is a polymer which is mostly used in tablet formulations and chitosan; which is one of the most preferred polymers because of its degradability to non-toxic monomers, by spray-drying method and the characteristics of the prepared systems were examined in detail by in vitro methods. Analyses results revealed that nanoparticles were prepared successfully and were stable during the storage period. As a result of the study, it can be regarded as the formulations are promising systems that can be used in cancer treatment. Keywords: Paclitaxel, Polymeric nanoparticles,Cancer treatment, Kollidon® SR, Kitosan