Production and stability of gelatin nanoparticles

Abstract

A-type and B-type gelatin nanoparticles were produced by undergoing a gelatin solution through desolvation by a non-solvent, crosslinking by glutaraldehyde and finally neutralisation with metabisulphite. The amount of unreacted gelatin was revealed qualitatively by size-exclusion chromatography during the nanoparticle production process. It was found that during desolvation, lower molecular weight species remain in solution. However these species do not show up in the final nanoparticle dispersion, indicating that although they did not undergo desolvation, they were probably involved in a process of nanoencapsulation. pH variation during production of A-type nanoparticles does not appear to affect adversely the generation of gelatin nanoparticles.