Acetylsalicylic acid loading and release studies of the PMMA‐ g ‐polymeric oils/oily acids micro and nanospheres

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and PMMA copolymers derived from plant oils (Polylinseed oil‐ g ‐PMMA, Polysoybean oil‐ g ‐PMMA, Polylinoleic acid‐ g ‐PMMA (PLina‐ g ‐PMMA) and Polyhydroxy alkanoate‐ sy‐ g ‐Polylinoleic acid‐ g ‐PMMA (PHA‐ g ‐PLina‐ g ‐PMMA)) as hydrophobic polymers, a series of hydrophobic microsphere or nanosphere dispersions, were prepared by the emulsion/solvent evaporation method. The diameters of the nanospheres and microspheres were measured by dynamic light scattering with a zetasizer, optically and by scanning electron microscopy. The magnetic quality of the microspheres was determined by the electron spin resonance technique. Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin, ASA) was used as a model drug and loaded into the microspheres during the preparation process. The effect of the stirring rate over the size and size distribution of the micro/nanospheres was evaluated, and the effects of copolymer types derived from plant oil/oily acids and the copolymer/drug ratios were evaluated. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011