Paclitaxel (PTX) has been widely used in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, acute leukemia, ovarian, cervical, and breast tumors. Even though PTX was found to be therapeutically effective, due to its unfavorable side effects, including hypersensitivity, nephrotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and poor water solubility, clinical usage of the drug is restricted. Conjugation with water-soluble polymers or encapsulation in natural protein carriers can significantly improve PTX's aqueous solubility. The aim of the present work is to develop a size-regulated assembly of PTX nanoparticles (PTX-NPs) using nano-drug carriers, with a size distribution of 10 - 300 nm. Triblock copolymer Pluronic F127, ?-cyclodextrin, Zein, Whey, Casein, and Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) proteins have been used in this study. PTX-NPs were prepared by self-assembly and were characterized for physiochemical properties using Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and zeta potential measurements. The results indicated a particle size within the targeted size range. Zeta potential values ranging from -29 mV to -34mV indicated similar surface properties and stable colloidal formulations. The drug release behavior of PTX-NPs was studied with respect to the free form of the drug at a pH of 7.4 for 72 hours. Korsmeyer Peppas drug release provided the best fit for the release data. The results show slow and sustained release of the encapsulated drug following pseudo-fickian diffusion.
