Table 1. Characterization of nanoparticles. Data represented mean±SD (n = 3).

	Particle size (nm)	Zeta potential (mV)	Polydispersity Index	Total effective drug loadinga (%)	Physical drug loadingb(%)	Physical encapsulation efficiency (%)
DOX-hyd-PEG-FA NPs	186±27	−27.6±4.7	0.102±0.028	29.3±3.7**	15.1±1.7	74.3±8.9
DOX-hyd-PEG NPs	188±20	−22.6±3.5	0.181±0.055	27.5±2.5##	14.3±1.8	65.6±6.6
DOX-ami-PEG-FA NPs	213±28	−26.5±5.3	0.167±0.042	14.7±2.1	14.5±1.9	69.4±8.1
DOX-ami-PEG NPs	221±32	−24.6±4.1	0.201±0.053	15.6±2.7	15.2±1.5	64.7±7.7

^a: NPs were dispersed in the acetate buffer (pH = 4.0);

^b: NPs were dispersed in the DMSO.

**p<0.01 vs DOX-ami-PEG-FA NPs;

^##p<0.01 vs DOX-ami-PEG NPs.