Tunicate Cellulose Nanocrystals as Stabilizers for PLGA-based Polymeric Nanoparticles

Nanoparticles have different physical and chemical properties than those of micro-sized particles and are actively studied in the fields of electronics, biology, and material science. However, in case of most polymeric nanoparticles, maintaining and remaining in their colloid state for a long time is difficult due to self-aggregation. In this study, we examined the morphological, physical, and chemical properties of tunicate cellulose nanocrystals (tCNC) and also investigated the effect of tCNC on colloidal behaviors of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-based nanoparticles. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed that tCNC do not have a chemical effect on PLGA-based nanoparticles. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) showed that tCNC helped the PLGA nanoparticles maintain their small sizes for a longer period in solution. tCNC were also confirmed to be non-cytotoxic to human dermal fibroblasts at concentrations below 0.5%. Based on these results, tCNC were found to be a stabilizer for PLGA-based nanoparticles.