A method for the preparation of polymeric nanocapsules without stabilizer.

In this communication poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) nanocapsules containing bovine serum albumin (BSA) were prepared by means of a modified W/O/W double emulsion technology. A mixture of glycerin and water was used instead of the traditional stabilizer system in the preparation of polymeric nanocapsules. The preliminary results showed that the high viscosity of the mixture and the hydroxyl group of the glycerin were helpful to the formation of the nanocapsules. The prepared nanocapsules had a similar spherical form. By comparison of different polymers of poly(L-lactide) and polycaprolactone-poly(ethylene oxide) block copolymer (PCE), it was found that the entrapment efficiency of the BSA was strongly dependent on the hydrophilicity of the polymer. A lower entrapment efficiency of BSA and nanocapsules with smaller size were obtained when the relative hydrophilic PCE polymer was used as the entrapping material.