Hybrid nanospheres and vesicles based on pectin as drug carriers.

A novel strategy was developed to prepare nanospheres and vesicles as drug carriers. The drug-loaded pectin nanospheres and vesicles were fabricated in aqueous media containing Ca(2+) and CO(3)(2-) ions under very mild conditions, which did not involve any surfactant. Through adjusting the preparation conditions, nanosized drug delivery systems with diverse morphologies, that is, nanospheres and vesicles, could be obtained. This technique could offer good control over the morphology and the size of nanospheres and vesicles. The morphologies of the aggregates were observed by environmental scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), an antineoplastic drug, was encapsulated in the nanospheres and vesicles, and the in vitro drug release at different pH values was investigated. With the presence of Ca(2+) and CO(3)(2-) ions in the pectin-based nanospheres/vesicles, the release of the low molecular weight drug could be effectively sustained from the highly hydrolyzed polysaccharide-based drug delivery systems.