Linear, Mannitol-Based Poly(anhydride-esters) with High Ibuprofen Loading and Anti-Inflammatory Activity.

Sugar alcohols, such as mannitol and xylitol, are biocompatible polyols that have been used to make highly cross-linked polyester elastomers and dendrimers for tissue engineering and drug delivery. However, research that utilizes the secondary hydroxyl groups as sites for pendant bioactive attachment and subsequent polymerization is limited. This work is the first report of a linear, completely biodegradable polymer with a sugar alcohol backbone and chemically incorporated pendant bioactives that exhibits sustained bioactive release and high bioactive loading (∼70%).

Enzymatic Polymerization of an Ibuprofen-Containing Monomer and Subsequent Drug Release.

Novel ibuprofen-containing monomers comprising naturally occurring and biocompatible compounds were synthesized and subsequently polymerized via enzymatic methods. Through the use of a malic acid sugar backbone, ibuprofen was attached as a pendant group, and then subsequently polymerized with a linear aliphatic diol (1,3-propanediol, 1,5-pentanediol, or 1,8-octanediol) as comonomer using lipase B from Candida antarctica, a greener alternative to traditional metal catalysts. Polymer structures were elucidated by nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopies, and thermal properties and molecular weights were determined.

Antibiotic-containing polymers for localized, sustained drug delivery.

Many currently used antibiotics suffer from issues such as systemic toxicity, short half-life, and increased susceptibility to bacterial resistance. Although most antibiotic classes are administered systemically through oral or intravenous routes, a more efficient delivery system is needed. This review discusses the chemical conjugation of antibiotics to polymers, achieved by forming covalent bonds between antibiotics and a pre-existing polymer or by developing novel antibiotic-containing polymers.

Poly(anhydride-esters) comprised exclusively of naturally occurring antimicrobials and EDTA: antioxidant and antibacterial activities.

Carvacrol, thymol, and eugenol are naturally occurring phenolic compounds known to possess antimicrobial activity against a range of bacteria, as well as antioxidant activity. Biodegradable poly(anhydride-esters) composed of an ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) backbone and antimicrobial pendant groups (i.e.

Biodegradable coumaric acid-based poly(anhydride-ester) synthesis and subsequent controlled release.

To overcome drug delivery issues associated with its short half-life in vivo, p-coumaric acid (pCA), a naturally occurring bioactive, has been chemically incorporated into a poly(anhydride-ester) backbone through solution polymerization. Nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies indicated that pCA was successfully incorporated without noticeable alterations in structural integrity. The polymer's weight-average molecular weight and thermal properties were determined, exhibiting a molecular weight of over 26 000 Da and a glass transition temperature of 57 °C.

Synthesis of biotinylated c-di-gmp and c-di-amp using click conjugation.

The biotinylated c-di-GMP and c-di-AMP conjugates 10a/b were synthesized by a straightforward set of procedures from standard, commercially available phosphoramidites. Their availability should allow isolation and characterization of new protein and RNA receptors for these key bacterial signaling molecules.

Biodegradable ferulic acid-containing poly(anhydride-ester): degradation products with controlled release and sustained antioxidant activity.

Ferulic acid (FA) is an antioxidant and photoprotective agent used in biomedical and cosmetic formulations to prevent skin cancer and senescence. Although FA exhibits numerous health benefits, physicochemical instability leading to decomposition hinders its efficacy. To minimize inherent decomposition, a FA-containing biodegradable polymer was prepared via solution polymerization to chemically incorporate FA into a poly(anhydride-ester).