Nanoparticles in drug delivery – design and advantages MCQs With Answer

Nanoparticles in drug delivery – design and advantages MCQs With Answer

Nanoparticles are submicron-sized carriers engineered to improve drug delivery by enhancing solubility, stability, controlled release, and targeted delivery. Core design elements include nanocarrier type (liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles), particle size, surface charge, surface modification (PEGylation, ligands), and encapsulation efficiency. Key advantages are improved pharmacokinetics, reduced toxicity, enhanced therapeutic efficacy, and site-specific targeting via passive (EPR) or active ligand-mediated mechanisms. Critical considerations for B.Pharm students include formulation methods, characterization techniques (DLS, TEM, zeta potential), stimuli-responsive release, biocompatibility, and regulatory challenges. Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.

Q1. What size range is commonly defined for nanoparticles used in drug delivery?

• 1–100 nanometers
• 100–1000 nanometers
• 1–10 micrometers
• 10–100 micrometers

Correct Answer: 1–100 nanometers

Q2. Which nanoparticle property most directly influences cellular uptake and biodistribution?

• Particle size
• Color
• Manufacturer name
• Tablet hardness

Correct Answer: Particle size

Q3. PEGylation of nanoparticles primarily provides which advantage?

• Increased recognition by the reticuloendothelial system
• Stealth behavior and prolonged circulation time
• Instant drug release
• Higher melting point

Correct Answer: Stealth behavior and prolonged circulation time

Q4. Which mechanism describes enhanced accumulation of nanoparticles in tumor tissue due to leaky vasculature?

• Active targeting
• Endocytosis
• Enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect
• Opsonization

Correct Answer: Enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect

Q5. Which characterization technique is used to measure nanoparticle hydrodynamic size?

• Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)
• Dynamic light scattering (DLS)
• High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)
• Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)

Correct Answer: Dynamic light scattering (DLS)

Q6. In nanoparticle formulations, zeta potential measurement provides information about:

• Crystalline structure
• Surface charge and colloidal stability
• Drug chemical identity
• Viscosity only

Correct Answer: Surface charge and colloidal stability

Q7. Which nanoparticle type is composed of phospholipid bilayers encapsulating aqueous cores?

• Polymeric nanoparticles
• Micelles
• Liposomes
• Nanocrystals

Correct Answer: Liposomes

Q8. Which preparation method is commonly used for polymeric nanoparticles like PLGA-based systems?

• Emulsion solvent evaporation
• Freeze-drying without solvent
• Direct compression
• Cold chain fusion

Correct Answer: Emulsion solvent evaporation

Q9. High encapsulation efficiency is most directly related to which formulation parameter?

• Drug-polymer compatibility and solubility
• Room humidity only
• Packaging color
• Tablet coating thickness

Correct Answer: Drug-polymer compatibility and solubility

Q10. Stimuli-responsive nanoparticles release drug in response to which triggers?

• pH, temperature, enzymes, or redox conditions
• Package label color
• Electrical outlet voltage
• Magnetic ink only

Correct Answer: pH, temperature, enzymes, or redox conditions

Q11. Which is a major advantage of nanoparticles for oral drug delivery?

• Guaranteed 100% absorption for all drugs
• Protection of labile drugs from gastric degradation and improved intestinal uptake
• Prevents any metabolism in the liver
• Eliminates need for dosing schedules

Correct Answer: Protection of labile drugs from gastric degradation and improved intestinal uptake

Q12. What does the term ‘drug loading’ refer to in nanoparticle formulations?

• The number of pills in a bottle
• Amount of drug per unit mass of nanoparticle
• Total manufacturing cost
• The weight of packaging

Correct Answer: Amount of drug per unit mass of nanoparticle

Q13. Active targeting of nanoparticles is achieved by:

• Coating with inert sugars only
• Functionalizing the surface with ligands such as antibodies, peptides, or aptamers
• Increasing the core temperature
• Reducing the particle count

Correct Answer: Functionalizing the surface with ligands such as antibodies, peptides, or aptamers

Q14. Which release kinetics model often describes diffusion-controlled release from matrices?

• Michaelis-Menten model
• Higuchi model
• Langmuir isotherm
• Arrhenius equation

Correct Answer: Higuchi model

Q15. What is a main clearance pathway for many systemically administered nanoparticles?

• Renal filtration for large 500 nm particles
• Uptake by the reticuloendothelial system (RES)/mononuclear phagocyte system
• Exhalation through lungs unchanged
• Transdermal diffusion out of skin

Correct Answer: Uptake by the reticuloendothelial system (RES)/mononuclear phagocyte system

Q16. Which parameter is most critical to reduce nanoparticle aggregation during storage?

• Color additives
• Surface charge and stabilizers (steric/electrostatic stabilization)
• Adding metal flakes
• Increasing ambient light exposure

Correct Answer: Surface charge and stabilizers (steric/electrostatic stabilization)

Q17. Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) are advantageous because they:

• Are always crystalline and never change properties
• Combine the advantages of lipids and colloidal carriers for controlled release and biocompatibility
• Require no surfactants
• Are identical to micelles

Correct Answer: Combine the advantages of lipids and colloidal carriers for controlled release and biocompatibility

Q18. Which analytical method provides morphological visualization of nanoparticles?

• UV-Vis spectrophotometry
• Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
• pH meter
• Rotational viscometer

Correct Answer: Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)

Q19. What is a key regulatory concern specific to nanoparticle therapeutics?

• Standard tablet size requirements
• Characterization of size, surface properties, and in vivo safety/toxicity profiles
• Mandated flavoring agents
• Prohibition of sterile manufacturing

Correct Answer: Characterization of size, surface properties, and in vivo safety/toxicity profiles

Q20. Nanoparticle-based vaccines often use nanoparticles to:

• Mask antigens permanently
• Serve as antigen delivery systems and immune adjuvants to enhance immune response
• Replace refrigeration entirely
• Trigger nonspecific allergic responses only

Correct Answer: Serve as antigen delivery systems and immune adjuvants to enhance immune response

Q21. Nanoprecipitation is a suitable technique for preparing nanoparticles when the drug is:

• Highly volatile
• Soluble in a water-miscible organic solvent and precipitates in aqueous phase
• Only soluble in supercritical CO2
• Insoluble in all solvents

Correct Answer: Soluble in a water-miscible organic solvent and precipitates in aqueous phase

Q22. In targeted nanoparticle design, what role do targeting ligands play?

• Decrease drug potency
• Bind specific receptors on target cells to increase uptake specificity
• Guarantee complete avoidance of off-target tissues
• Only provide color to the formulation

Correct Answer: Bind specific receptors on target cells to increase uptake specificity

Q23. Which factor increases nanoparticle penetration across the blood-brain barrier (BBB)?

• Very large particle size (>1000 nm)
• Surface modification with targeting ligands or use of receptor-mediated transcytosis
• Adding heavy metals to the surface
• Using only hydrophilic coatings without targeting

Correct Answer: Surface modification with targeting ligands or use of receptor-mediated transcytosis

Q24. What is the main disadvantage of rapid opsonization of nanoparticles in circulation?

• Prolonged plasma half-life
• Enhanced phagocytic clearance leading to reduced therapeutic delivery to target sites
• Improved targeting efficiency
• Higher oral bioavailability

Correct Answer: Enhanced phagocytic clearance leading to reduced therapeutic delivery to target sites

Q25. Which polymer is widely used for biodegradable nanoparticles in controlled release formulations?

• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
• Polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA)
• Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
• Polystyrene

Correct Answer: Polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA)

Q26. What does polydispersity index (PDI) indicate in nanoparticle dispersions?

• Drug chemical stability only
• Size distribution uniformity; lower PDI indicates more uniform size
• Electrical conductivity
• Color homogeneity

Correct Answer: Size distribution uniformity; lower PDI indicates more uniform size

Q27. Which sterilization method is generally unsuitable for heat-sensitive nanoparticle formulations?

• Gamma irradiation
• Autoclaving (moist heat sterilization)
• Filtration through 0.22 µm filters when applicable
• Aseptic processing

Correct Answer: Autoclaving (moist heat sterilization)

Q28. For inhalation delivery, which nanoparticle aerodynamic property is crucial?

• Magnetic susceptibility
• Mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD)
• Electrical charge only
• Color

Correct Answer: Mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD)

Q29. Which in vitro test helps predict nanoparticle drug release kinetics?

• Dissolution testing using appropriate media and release apparatus
• pH paper color change
• Microscopy color analysis
• Tablet hardness test

Correct Answer: Dissolution testing using appropriate media and release apparatus

Q30. Which challenge remains a major barrier to clinical translation of nanoparticle therapeutics?

• Unavailability of active pharmaceutical ingredients
• Scale-up reproducibility, manufacturing complexity, and thorough safety evaluation
• Excessively high oral bioavailability in all cases
• Inability to analyze by any instrument

Correct Answer: Scale-up reproducibility, manufacturing complexity, and thorough safety evaluation

G S Sachin

I am a Registered Pharmacist under the Pharmacy Act, 1948, and the founder of PharmacyFreak.com. I hold a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Rungta College of Pharmaceutical Science and Research. With a strong academic foundation and practical knowledge, I am committed to providing accurate, easy-to-understand content to support pharmacy students and professionals. My aim is to make complex pharmaceutical concepts accessible and useful for real-world application.

Mail- Sachin@pharmacyfreak.com