Versatile poly(maltose) micro/nanoparticles with tunable surface functionality as a biomaterial

Abstract Maltose, a natural disaccharide, was crosslinked with divinyl sulfone to prepare poly(maltose) (p(MAL)) micro/nanoparticles via one step microemulsion system with ≥90% ± 5% yield in a size rage of 0.5–100 μm for the first time. P(MAL) was modified (m‐p(MAL)) with ethylenediamine (EDA), polyethyleneimine (PEI), and taurine (TA) to render additional functionalities, that is, amine and sulfate groups. The isoelectronic point of bare p(MAL) particles were calculated at pH 2.2 ± 0.5 and was changed to 1.3 ± 0.5, 4.3 ± 1.0, and 8.1 ± 0.7 for TA (p(MAL)/TA), EDA (p(MAL)/EDA), and PEI (p(MAL)/PEI) modification, respectively. Bare p(MAL) particles were found to be biocompatible up to 2 mg/ml with hemolysis and blood clotting tests, whereas the modified p(MAL) particles were found to be biocompatible at 1 mg/ml concentration. Additionally, it was found that TA‐ and PEI‐modified p(MAL) particles induced blood clotting mechanisms. Sodium diclofenac as model drug was released at proportions of 8.7% ± 1.3%, 3.9% ± 0.2%, 8.8% ± 0.9%, and 31.6% ± 0.4% of the loaded drug in phosphate buffered saline solution from p(MAL), p(MAL)/TA, p(MAL)/EDA, and p(MAL)/PEI, respectively. The inhibition of antimicrobial activity of p(MAL)/PEI particles at 20 mg/ml concentration for Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus strain was determined as 99.86% ± 0.3% and 99.79% ± 0.25%, respectively.