title: Physicochemical assessment of dextran-g-poly (ɛ-caprolactone) micellar nanoaggregates as drug nanocarriers.
abstract: Self-assembling polymers in aqueous solution have attracted significant attention with recent research efforts focused on the development of new strategies to design devices useful in the field of controlled drug delivery. In this context, amphiphilic copolymers having specific structural features and self-assembling behaviors in aqueous media that would enable controlled drug release over longer time periods. In this work, we report on the synthesis and characterization of a Poly (ɛ-caprolactone)-grafted Dextran copolymer and its use in the preparation of micellar nanoaggregates. The characterization and study of the morphology, topography, size distribution and stability of micellar nanoaggregates by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Zeta Potential (ζ), respectively, were carried out. Spherical-shaped morphologies and an average size of approximately 83 nm, for drug-free nanoaggregates, were observed. In addition, Zeta Potential studies showed that drug-free nanoaggregates are more stable than drug-loaded structures measured in a phosphate buffer (pH 7.2) medium. UV-vis spectrophotometry of both the drug entrapment efficiency (EE%) and in vitro drug release behavior were assessed. The EE% was determined to be 78% (w/w), and a combination of diffusion and eroding polymer matrix mechanisms for drug release were established. Finally, these results indicate that Dx-g-PCL micellar nanoaggregates are suitable for use as a potential nanocarrier having both biodegradable and biocompatible properties.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación de Polímeros Avanzados (CIPA), Beltrán Mathieu 224, piso 2, Concepción, Chile. Electronic address: c.saldias@cipachile.cl.
authors.forename: César
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saldías
authors.affiliation: Universidad Andres Bello, Facultad de Medicina, Center for Integrative Medicine and Innovative Science (CIMIS), Echaurren 183, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Velásquez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Física, Facultad de Química, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 302, Correo 22, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Quezada
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Física, Facultad de Química, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 302, Correo 22, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leiva
mesh_terms: D002627:Chemistry, Physical; D003911:Dextrans / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D008823:Micelles; D015394:Molecular Structure; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D011091:Polyesters / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D003911:Dextrans; D004337:Drug Carriers; D008823:Micelles; D011091:Polyesters; C000602099:dextran-g-poly(epsilon-caprolactone)
keywords: Dextran; Drug delivery; PCL; Polymeric nanoparticles