Preparation and characterization of lectin-latex conjugates for specific bioadhesion.

This paper reports on the preparation and characterization of certain bioadhesive model drug deliver systems formed by a carrier (e.g. modified nanoparticles of polystyrene) and a ligand (e.g. tomato lectin, asparagus pea lectin, Mycoplasma gallisepticum lectin or albumin). Three different manufacturing methods (carbodiimide and glutaraldehyde coupling and physical adsorption) were studied. The activity of the lectin-latex conjugates and albumin-latex conjugate (control) were tested with gastric pig mucin. The manufacturing method had an insignificant effect on the activity, but all lectin-latex conjugates interacted two or three times more with mucin than with the control.