1
|
Balan GA, Precupas A, Matei I. Gelation Behaviour of Pluronic F127/Polysaccharide Systems Revealed via Thioflavin T Fluorescence. Gels 2023; 9:939. [PMID: 38131925 PMCID: PMC10742936 DOI: 10.3390/gels9120939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Fast, reliable methods for characterizing the micelle-to-gel transition in emerging Pluronic F127/polysaccharide materials are essential for tailoring their applications as in situ gelling delivery systems. This study describes a simple fluorimetric method based on the response to gelation of the molecular probe thioflavin T (ThT). The techniques employed are (second derivative) steady-state and synchronous fluorescence. The capabilities of ThT as gelation reporter are tested for three model systems: Pluronic F127 (P16.6%), Pluronic F127/alginate (P16.6%ALG2%) and Pluronic F127/hyaluronic acid (P16.6%HA0.5%). We demonstrate that the changes in the short and long wavelength emissions of ThT allow accurate determination of the critical gelation temperatures in the investigated systems. The spectroscopic data providing information at molecular level are complemented with differential scanning microcalorimetric results revealing additional macroscopic insight into the micellization process. The gelation study is preceded by a solvatochromic analysis of ThT.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Iulia Matei
- “Ilie Murgulescu” Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Recio-Ruiz J, Carloni R, Ranganathan S, Muñoz-Moreno L, Carmena MJ, Ottaviani MF, de la Mata FJ, García-Gallego S. Amphiphilic Dendritic Hydrogels with Carbosilane Nanodomains: Preparation and Characterization as Drug Delivery Systems. CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS : A PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 2023; 35:2797-2807. [PMID: 37063594 PMCID: PMC10101558 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.2c03436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Carbosilane dendrimers are hyperbranched lipophilic scaffolds widely explored in biomedical applications. This work exploits, for the first time, the ability of these scaffolds to generate functional hydrogels with amphiphilic properties. The monodispersity and multivalency enable a precise synthetic control of the network, while the lipophilicity improves the compatibility with poorly soluble cargo. The first family of cleavable carbosilane dendrimers was designed for this purpose, overcoming one of the main drawbacks of these type of dendrimers. Biodegradable dendritic low-swelling hydrogels with aromatic nanodomains were easily prepared using the highly efficient click thiol-ene chemistry. Our studies through electron-paramagnetic resonance, molecular dynamics simulations, and experimental assays confirmed the impact of the carbosilane dendritic nanodomains in both the encapsulation and the release pattern of model drugs such as ibuprofen and curcumin. Curcumin-loaded hydrogels were further tested in in vitro assays against advanced prostate cancer cells. The dendritic hydrogels not only enabled drugs encapsulation; as proof of concept, ibuprofen was efficiently attached via fluoride-promoted esterification and was enzymatically cleaved, achieving a controlled release over time.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Judith Recio-Ruiz
- University
of Alcala, Department of Organic
and Inorganic Chemistry and Research Institute in Chemistry “Andrés
M. Del Río” (IQAR), 28805 Madrid, Spain
| | - Riccardo Carloni
- Cancer
Early Detection Advanced Research Center (CEDAR), Oregon Health and Science University, Knight Cancer Research Building, 2720 S Moody Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97201, United States
| | - Srivathsan Ranganathan
- Cancer
Early Detection Advanced Research Center (CEDAR), Oregon Health and Science University, Knight Cancer Research Building, 2720 S Moody Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97201, United States
| | - Laura Muñoz-Moreno
- Department
of Systems Biology, University of Alcala, 28805 Madrid, Spain
| | - María José Carmena
- Department
of Systems Biology, University of Alcala, 28805 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Francisco Javier de la Mata
- University
of Alcala, Department of Organic
and Inorganic Chemistry and Research Institute in Chemistry “Andrés
M. Del Río” (IQAR), 28805 Madrid, Spain
- Networking
Research Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Institute
Ramón y Cajal for Health Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
| | - Sandra García-Gallego
- University
of Alcala, Department of Organic
and Inorganic Chemistry and Research Institute in Chemistry “Andrés
M. Del Río” (IQAR), 28805 Madrid, Spain
- Networking
Research Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Institute
Ramón y Cajal for Health Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Joly JP, Aricov L, Balan GA, Popescu EI, Mocanu S, Leonties AR, Matei I, Marque SRA, Ionita G. Formation of Alginate/Chitosan Interpenetrated Networks Revealed by EPR Spectroscopy. Gels 2023; 9:gels9030231. [PMID: 36975680 PMCID: PMC10048464 DOI: 10.3390/gels9030231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
This study analyzes the physico-chemical properties of interpenetrated polymer networks (IPNs) and semi-IPN resulting from cross-linking chitosan with glutaraldehyde and alginate with Ca2+ cations, as a function of the order in which the cross-linking agents are added to the polymer mixture. Three physico-chemical methods were used to assess the differences between systems: rheology, IR spectroscopy, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. While rheology and IR spectroscopy are commonly used to characterize gel materials, EPR spectroscopy is rarely used, but has the advantage of providing local information about the dynamics of a system. The rheological parameters, which describe the global behavior of the samples, show that semi-IPN systems have a weaker gel behavior and the order of introducing the cross-linker in the polymer systems plays a role. The IR spectra of samples resulting by adding only Ca2+ or Ca2+ as the first cross-linker are similar to that of the alginate gel, while the spectra of samples in which glutaraldehyde is firstly added resemble the chitosan gel spectrum. Using spin-labeled alginate and spin-labeled chitosan, we monitored the changes occurring in the dynamic of the spin labels due to the formation of IPN and semi-IPN. The results show that the order of adding the cross-linking agents influences the dynamic of the IPN network, and that the formation of the alginate network determines the characteristics of the entire IPN system. The EPR data were correlated with the rheological parameters and IR spectra of the analyzed samples.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Patrick Joly
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, Institut de Chimie Radicalaire, UMR 7273, Case 551, Avenue Escadrille Normandie-Niemen, CEDEX 20, 13397 Marseille, France
| | - Ludmila Aricov
- “Ilie Murgulescu” Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
- Correspondence: (L.A.); or (G.I.)
| | - George-Alin Balan
- “Ilie Murgulescu” Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Elena Irina Popescu
- “Ilie Murgulescu” Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Sorin Mocanu
- “Ilie Murgulescu” Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Anca Ruxandra Leonties
- “Ilie Murgulescu” Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Iulia Matei
- “Ilie Murgulescu” Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Sylvain R. A. Marque
- Aix Marseille University, CNRS, Institut de Chimie Radicalaire, UMR 7273, Case 551, Avenue Escadrille Normandie-Niemen, CEDEX 20, 13397 Marseille, France
| | - Gabriela Ionita
- “Ilie Murgulescu” Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
- Correspondence: (L.A.); or (G.I.)
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Spectroscopic Characterization of the Binding and Release of Hydrophilic, Hydrophobic and Amphiphilic Molecules from Ovalbumin Supramolecular Hydrogels. Gels 2022; 9:gels9010014. [PMID: 36661784 PMCID: PMC9857392 DOI: 10.3390/gels9010014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein-based hydrogels have attracted growing attention for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. Ovalbumin (OVA), the hen egg white albumin, possessing good foaming and gelling properties and being widely used in the food industry, has recently been indicated as a potential pharmaceutical vehicle. In this study, the binding and release properties of pure OVA hydrogels were investigated by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spin labeling. The comparative analysis between OVA and serum albumin (SA) hydrogels revealed the same release kinetics of hydrophilic 3-carbamoyl-proxyl and 3-carboxy-proxyl, suggesting the diffusion-dominated release of small probes from both hydrogel types. The results obtained with the amphiphilic 16-doxylstearate (16-DS) indicate that OVA, unlike SAs, does not possess a specific fatty acid binding site. However, the OVA hydrogels were able to accommodate a two-fold excess of 16-DS, resulting from protein thermally induced conformational changes, as confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. Similarly, the hydrophobic modified paullone ligand HL, which was initially free in the OVA solution, was bound in the hydrogel. The hydrogels were found to retain a significant amount of 16-DS and HL after 7-day dialysis in physiological saline. The observed facilitated binding of amphiphilic/hydrophobic molecules in OVA hydrogels compared to the solution, and their sustained release, demonstrate the applicability of OVA hydrogels in pharmaceutics.
Collapse
|
5
|
Thermosensitive Hydrogels Loaded with Resveratrol Nanoemulsion: Formulation Optimization by Central Composite Design and Evaluation in MCF-7 Human Breast Cancer Cell Lines. Gels 2022; 8:gels8070450. [PMID: 35877535 PMCID: PMC9318454 DOI: 10.3390/gels8070450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The second most common cause of mortality among women is breast cancer. A variety of natural compounds have been demonstrated to be beneficial in the management of various malignancies. Resveratrol is a promising anticancer polyphenolic compound found in grapes, berries, etc. Nevertheless, its low solubility, and hence its low bioavailability, restrict its therapeutic potential. Therefore, in our study, we developed a thermosensitive hydrogel formulation loaded with resveratrol nanoemulsion to enhance its bioavailability. Initially, resveratrol nanoemulsions were formulated and optimized utilizing a central composite-face-centered design. The independent variables for optimization were surfactant level, homogenization speed, and time, while the size and zeta potential were the dependent variables. The optimized nanoemulsion formulation was converted into a sensitive hydrogel using poloxamer 407. Rheological studies proved the formation of gel consistency at physiological temperature. Drug loading efficiency and in vitro drug release from gels were also analyzed. The drug release mechanisms from the gels were assessed using various mathematical models. The effect of the optimized thermosensitive resveratrol nanoemulsion hydrogel on the viability of human breast cancer cells was tested using MCF-7 cancer cell lines. The globule size of the selected formulation was 111.54 ± 4.16 nm, with a zeta potential of 40.96 ± 3.1 mV. Within 6 h, the in vitro release profile demonstrated a release rate of 80%. According to cell line studies, the produced hydrogel of resveratrol nanoemulsion was cytotoxic to breast cancer cells. Overall, the results proved the developed nanoemulsion-loaded thermosensitive hydrogel is a promising platform for the effective delivery of resveratrol for the management of breast cancer.
Collapse
|