Consumer Products Safety, Directorate General Joint Research Centre, European Commission, Directorate F – Health, Consumers and Reference Materials, Via E. Fermi, Ispra(VA), Italy, SINTEF Materials and Chemistry, Department of Biotechnology and Nanomedicine, Sem Sælands v. 2A, Trondheim, Norway, University Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France, CEA, LETI, Minatec Campus, Grenoble, France

Analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) is a powerful tool for the study of particle size distributions and interactions with high accuracy and resolution. In this work, we show how the analysis of sedimentation velocity data from the AUC can be used to characterize nanocarrier drug delivery systems used in nanomedicine. Nanocarrier size distribution and the ratio of free versus nanoparticle-encapsulated drug in a commercially available liposomal doxorubicin formulation are determined using interference and absorbance based AUC measurements and compared with results generated with conventional techniques. Additionally, the potential of AUC in measuring particle density and the detection of nanocarrier sub-populations is discussed as well. The unique capability of AUC in providing reliable data for size and composition in a single measurement and without complex sample preparation makes this characterization technique a promising tool both in nanomedicine product development and quality control. © 2017 The Authors

Analytical ultracentrifugation, AUC, Free drug, Liposome, Nanomedicine, Size distribution

doxorubicin, liposome, nanocarrier, antineoplastic antibiotic, doxorubicin, macrogol derivative, Article, controlled study, drug delivery system, drug formulation, nanoencapsulation, nanomedicine, particle size, priority journal, quality control, sedimentation rate, ultracentrifugation, analogs and derivatives, ultracentrifugation, Antibiotics, Antineoplastic, Doxorubicin, Nanomedicine, Particle Size, Polyethylene Glycols, Ultracentrifugation