β-Cyclodextrin-based geometrically frustrated amphiphiles as one-component, cell-specific and organ-specific nucleic acid delivery systems.

We introduce an innovative β-cyclodextrin (βCD)-prototype for delivering nucleic acids: "geometrically frustrated amphiphiles (GFAs)." GFAs are designed with cationic centers evenly distributed across the primary O6 and secondary O2 positions of the βCD scaffold, while hydrophobic tails are anchored at the seven O3 positions. Such distribution of functional elements differs from Janus-type architectures and enlarges the capacity for accessing strictly monodisperse variants.

A Comprehensive Study of Gemfibrozil Complexation with β-Cyclodextrins in Aqueous Solution Using Different Analytical Techniques.

Gemfibrozil (GEM) is a hypolipidemic agent, which is effective in reducing serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Complexation of GEM with native β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and with the derivatives hydroxypropyl-β- and randomly methylated β-CD (HPβ-CD and Meβ-CD) was studied in aqueous solution of pH 2.8 and 7.

Antibacterial and degradable properties of β-cyclodextrin-TiO cellulose acetate and polylactic acid bionanocomposites for food packaging.

Polylactic acid (PLA) and cellulose acetate (CA) as biodegradable polymers are being highly exploited in the development of innovative materials across several industrial sectors. PLA and CA composite films with TiO nanoparticles (NPs) and β-cyclodextrin grafted TiO NPs were prepared. Thermo- and photo-degradation studies were performed on PLA and CA films and noticed that higher amount of TiO induce greater color variations, structure modifications and weight losses.

Aging Studies on Food Packaging Films Containing β-Cyclodextrin-Grafted TiO Nanoparticles.

Polymeric materials, such as polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and ethylene-PVA copolymers (EVOH) are widely used in the food sector as packaging materials because of their excellent properties. TiO nanoparticles (NPs) show photocatalytic activity; when added to the aforementioned polymers, on the one hand, they are expected to provide bactericidal capacity, whereas on the other hand, they could favor nanocomposite degradation. These types of nanoparticles can be derivatized with cyclodextrin macromolecules (CDs), which can act as food preservative carriers, increasing the packaging food protective properties.

Cyclodextrin-grafted nanoparticles as food preservative carriers.

Photocatalytic properties of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO NPs) have encouraged their use as fillers in polymer-based nanocomposites for application in food packaging. The surface modification of TiO NPs with cyclodextrins (CDs) can improve their functionality in a large extent. With this purpose, sorbic acid (SA) and benzoic acid (BA), commonly used as antifungal and antibacterial food preservatives, respectively, have been encapsulated in CD-grafted NPs.

A Freeze-Thawing Method to Prepare Chitosan-Poly(vinyl alcohol) Hydrogels Without Crosslinking Agents and Diflunisal Release Studies.

Chitosan-poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogels can be produced by the freeze-thawing method without using toxic crosslinking agents. The applications of these systems are limited by their characteristics (e.g.

Trehalose-based Siamese twin amphiphiles with tunable self-assembling, DNA nanocomplexing and gene delivery properties.

An original family of multivalent vectors encompassing gemini and facial amphiphilicity, namely cationic Siamese twin surfactants, has been prepared from the disaccharide trehalose; molecular engineering lets us modulate the self-assembling properties and the topology of the nanocomplexes with plasmid DNA for efficient gene delivery in vitro and in vivo.

Preparation and Characterization of Polymer Composite Materials Based on PLA/TiO₂ for Antibacterial Packaging.

Polymer composite materials based on polylactic acid (PLA) filled with titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles were prepared. The aim of this work was to investigate the antibacterial action of TiO₂ against a strain of (DH5α) to obtain information on their potential uses in food and agro-alimentary industry. PLA/TiO₂ systems were prepared by a two-step process: Solvent casting followed by a hot-pressing step.

Drug Release Properties of Diflunisal from Layer-By-Layer Self-Assembled κ-Carrageenan/Chitosan Nanocapsules: Effect of Deposited Layers.

Engineering of multifunctional drug nanocarriers combining stability and good release properties remains a great challenge. In this work, natural polymers κ-carrageenan (κ-CAR) and chitosan (CS) were deposited onto olive oil nanoemulsion droplets (NE) via layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly to study the release mechanisms of the anti-inflammatory diflunisal (DF) as a lipophilic drug model. The nano-systems were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential (ζ-potential) measurements, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (XEDS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to confirm the NE-coating with polymer layers.

Plasmid-Templated Control of DNA-Cyclodextrin Nanoparticle Morphology through Molecular Vector Design for Effective Gene Delivery.

Engineering self-assembled superstructures through complexation of plasmid DNA (pDNA) and single-isomer nanometric size macromolecules (molecular nanoparticles) is a promising strategy for gene delivery. Notably, the functionality and overall architecture of the vector can be precisely molded at the atomic level by chemical tailoring, thereby enabling unprecedented opportunities for structure/self-assembling/pDNA delivery relationship studies. Beyond this notion, by judiciously preorganizing the functional elements in cyclodextrin (CD)-based molecular nanoparticles through covalent dimerization, here we demonstrate that the morphology of the resulting nanocomplexes (CDplexes) can be tuned, from spherical to ellipsoidal, rod-type, or worm-like nanoparticles, which makes it possible to gain understanding of their shape-dependent transfection properties.

Drug Carrier Systems Based on Cyclodextrin Supramolecular Assemblies and Polymers: Present and Perspectives.

The pharmaceutical applications of cyclodextrins (CDs), cyclic oligosaccharides capable of including hydrophobic molecules inside their cavities, have been known for decades. Besides the solubilising and encapsulating abilities of natural and modified CDs due to the formation of inclusion complexes, there is an increasing interest in organized macrostructures based on CDs as potential drug delivery devices and gene carrier systems. The present review discusses first the case of drug carriers based on monomeric modified CDs (amphiphilic and CD core-star polymers), in which self-assembly plays a major role.

Release of β-galactosidase from poloxamine/α-cyclodextrin hydrogels.

All mammals lose their ability to produce lactase (β-galactosidase), the enzyme that cleaves lactose into galactose and glucose, after weaning. The prevalence of lactase deficiency (LD) spans from 2 to 15% among northern Europeans, to nearly 100% among Asians. Following lactose consumption, people with LD often experience gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, bowel distension, cramps and flatulence, or even systemic problems such as headache, loss of concentration and muscle pain.

In Vitro release from reverse poloxamine/α-cyclodextrin matrices: modelling and comparison of dissolution profiles.

Gels obtained by complexation of octablock star polyethylene oxide/polypropylene oxide copolymers (Tetronic 90R4) with α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) were evaluated as matrices for drug release. Both molecules are biocompatible so they can be potentially applied to drug delivery systems. Two different types of matrices of Tetronic 90R4 and α-CD were evaluated: gels and tablets.

Influence of soluble and insoluble cyclodextrin polymers on drug release from hydroxypropyl methylcellulose tablets.

Background: The influence of beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) polymers on drug release from hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) matrices has not been reported in the literature.

Aim: The influence of monomeric beta-CD and both soluble and insoluble beta-CD polymers on drug release from tablets containing either 30% or 50% hydroxypropyl methylcellulose has been studied using diflunisal (DF) as model drug.

Method: The DF-beta-CD inclusion complex (1:1 M) was prepared by coevaporation and characterised using X-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis, and IR spectroscopy.

A fluorimetric study of pindolol and its complexes with cyclodextrins.

Spectrofluorimetric characteristics of pindolol have been investigated with the aim of using this technique for analytical determinations. Other monosubstituted indole derivatives, 4-methoxy and 5-methoxyindole, have been also studied for comparative purposes. Corrected excitation and emission wavelengths in different solvents are reported and the effect of solvent on the Stokes shifts of these compounds has been analysed using the Lippert equation.

Characterization of complexes between naftifine and cyclodextrins in solution and in the solid state.

Naftifine (NF) is an antifungal drug poorly soluble in basic aqueous solutions. Complexation with cyclodextrins (CDs) improves the physicochemical characteristics of many drugs. The aim of this work is to characterize the interactions between NF and alpha-CD, beta-CD, hydroxypropylbeta-CD, methylbeta-CD, and gamma-CD.

HPLC and solubility study of the interaction between pindolol and cyclodextrins.

The complexation with beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) has been investigated using reversed-phase liquid chromatography. The compounds tested have been pindolol and, for comparison purposes, indole and 4-methoxyindole. The retention behaviour has been analysed on a Kromasil 100 C18 column and the mobile phase used was methanol-pH 6 phosphate buffer (15/85v/v) in which beta-CD was incorporated as a mobile phase additive.