Choline Chloride Encapsulated PLGA Nanoparticles Labelled with Lanthanide Metals

Abstract

Herein, choline chloride was loaded into PLGA nanoparticles to ensure its controlled release. Encapsulation efficiencies (EE) and loading capacities (LC) of them were determined. Also, the produced nanoparticles were analyzed with Zetasizer, FT-IR, SEM, and XRD. The surfaces of the nanoparticles were functionalized by labeling with three different natural lanthanide metals Europium, Gadolinium, and Lutetium to expand diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities with three different imaging tecniques. Metal labeling of the nanoparticles was confirmed with SEM-EDX analysis. EE of the choline chloride nanoparticles were ranging between 62.5%-88.9%. LC of the choline chloride nanoparticles varied from 34.9 to 61.4. The mean size distribution obtained from the Zetasizer analysis of the free nanoparticles was 261.0 ± 7.598 nm. The Z-average size of the encapsulated nanoparticles also varied from 257.5 to 270 nm. The quite negative zeta potential, for example, -17.85 ± 0.165 mV for free NPs showed that the nanoparticles were sufficiently stable. The elemental mapping of the metal labeled NPs verified the labeling procedure. By obtaining therapeutic choline chloride-loaded nanoparticles with different metal labels, theranostic agents with common target and the ability to eliminate limitations with different imaging and detection techniques have been produced.