Open AccessStar-shaped poly(ε-caprolactones) with well-defined architecture as potential drug carriers
Author(s) -
Marijana Ponjavić,
Marija S. Nikolić,
Sanja Jevtić,
Sanja Jeremić,
Lidija Djokić,
Jasna Djonlagić
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
journal of the serbian chemical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.227
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1820-7421
pISSN - 0352-5139
DOI - 10.2298/jsc220202032p
Subject(s) - polymer , materials science , drug delivery , chemical engineering , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , star polymer , solvent , amorphous solid , polymer chemistry , chemistry , nanotechnology , composite material , copolymer , organic chemistry , engineering
The present study reported on the potential application of star-shaped poly(?-caprolactones) with different number of arms as new drug delivery matrix. Linear and star-shaped PCL ibuprofen loaded microspheres were prepared using oil-in-water (o/w) solvent evaporation technique and characterized with FTIR, DSC, XRD and SEM analysis. High yield, encapsulation efficiency and drug loadings were obtained for all microspheres. FTIR analysis revealed the existence of interactions between polymer matrix and drug, while the DSC analysis suggested that drug was encapsulated in an amorphous form. SEM analysis confirmed that regular, spherical in shape star-shaped microspheres, with diameter between 80 to 90 ?m, were obtained, while quite larger microspheres, 110 ?m, were prepared from linear PCL. The advantage of using star-shaped PCL microspheres instead of linear PCL was seen from drug release profiles which demonstrated higher amount of drug released from star-shaped polymer matrix as a consequence of their branched, flexible structure. Microspheres prepared from the polymers with the most branched structure showed the highest amount of released drug after 24 h. Finally, cytotoxicity tests, performed using normal human fibroblasts (MRC5), indicated absence of cytotoxicity at lower concentrations of microspheres proving the great potential of star-shaped PCL systems in comparison to linear ones.