Abstract
Though there are many albumin-based drug delivery systems (ABDDS) in the market, it is not known whether ABDDS can be applied across all chemical classes. In this study, we applied ABDDS to a poorly water-soluble drug betulinic acid (BA) to improve its aqueous solubility. Monomeric albumin-bound BA (ABBns) nanoparticles can be fabricated in the range of 10–20 nm. BA self-assembled with HSA at 0.1:1 to 2:1 molar ratio within 0.5 h in phosphate buffer pH 7.4 and 8.4. Approximately, 85–90% BA could be loaded onto HSA in the presence of Tween 20 (T20) and sodium cholate (NaC). The release of BA from ABBns was linear over 5 days. In conclusion, for poorly water-soluble acidic drugs, a suitable solubiliser can release the drug from HSA binding site, depending on the aggregation number and affinity of the solubiliser for the HSA binding site.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge St. John’s University, Venture/SEED grant for providing summer assistance to Y. Srivari.
Disclosure statement
The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.