Synthesis of nanosized chitosan-poly(acrylic acid) particles by a dropping method.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) vaccines are being investigated extensively because of their excellent potential over conventional protein ones. A suitable DNA carrier, consisting of uniformly dispersed chitosan-poly(acrylic acid) particles with an average size of 30 nm, was successfully synthesized by a dropping method with a ratio of chitosan solution to poly(acrylic acid) solution of 1:1 and was incubated in a buffer solution with a pH value of 3.0. The particle size increased from 35.76 to 45.90 nm when the pH value of the buffer solution was increased from 3.0 to 7.4. After freeze-drying, the non-incubated mixed solution showed a membranous morphology. A powdered product was formed from the mixed solution as incubated in buffer solution with pH values of 3.0 and 5.3. However, when the mixed solution was incubated in a buffer solution of pH 7.4, a mixture of membrane and powder was obtained.