Objective:To prepare folate-conjugated hyaluronic acid-octadecyl (FA-HA-C18) polymeric micelle for paclitaxel loading. Method:FA-HA-C18 copolymer was prepared by the reaction of the activated folate ester with the carboxyl group on the hyaluronic acid. The chemical structure was identified by FTIR and UV techniques. The paclitaxel-loaded FA-HA-C18 polymeric micelle was prepared by ultrasonic method

and the preparing process was also optimized. The average particle size and zeta potential of the paclitaxel-loaded FA-HA-C18 micelle were determined. Result:The degree of substitution of folate in FA-HA-C18 copolymer was 6.8%. The average particle size and zeta potential of paclitaxel-loaded FA-HA-C18 polymeric micelles were (191.9±8.7) nm and -33.3 mV

respectively. Conclusion:FA-HA-C18 polymeric micelles could be used as a novel drug delivery system for paclitaxel.