Preparation, characterization and efficacy evaluation of synthetic biocompatible polymers linking natural antioxidants

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 17; no. 11; pp. 12734 - 12745
• Main Authors: Trombino, Sonia, Cassano, Roberta, Ferrarelli, Teresa, Leta, Sonia, Puoci, Francesco, Picci, Nevio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 26.10.2012; MDPI
• Subjects: a-lipoic acid; Acids; Acrylamides - chemistry; Acrylic Resins - chemical synthesis; Acrylic Resins - chemistry; Acrylic Resins - pharmacology; Animals; Antioxidants; Atherosclerosis; Biocompatibility; Biocompatible Materials - chemical synthesis; Biocompatible Materials - chemistry; Biocompatible Materials - pharmacology; biocompatible polymers; Biopolymers; Biphenyl Compounds - chemistry; Caco-2 Cells; Cell Survival - drug effects; Chromatography; Cosmetics; Coumaric Acids - chemistry; Food; Fourier transforms; Free Radical Scavengers - chemical synthesis; Free Radical Scavengers - chemistry; Free Radical Scavengers - pharmacology; Free radicals; Free Radicals - chemistry; Hemodialysis; Humans; Inhibitory Concentration 50; Lipid peroxidation; Lipid Peroxidation - drug effects; Lipids; Malondialdehyde - metabolism; Methacrylates - chemistry; Microsomes, Liver - drug effects; Microsomes, Liver - metabolism; Oxidation; Personal grooming; Picrates - chemistry; Polymers; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Thioctic Acid - chemistry; trans-ferulic acid
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules171112734

The purpose of this work was the synthesis, characterization and efficacy evaluation of new biocompatible antioxidant polymers linking trans-ferulic acid or a-lipoic acid. In particular, ferulic or lipoic acid were introduced in the preformed polymeric backbone. The new antioxidant biopolymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography. The degree of functionalization (moles of antioxidant per gram of polymer) was determined by the Gaur-Gupta method for free amino group determination and by the Folin method for the phenolic groups. Their ability to inhibit lipid peroxidation were estimated in rat liver microsomal membranes induced in vitro by tert-BOOH (tert-butyl hydroperoxide), as a source of free radicals. The DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical-scavenging effect was also evaluated. The obtained systems, with different solubility, showed strong antioxidant and antiradical activities, suggesting potential use as packaging materials for foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and personal care products. Moreover, the cytotoxicity of the synthesized polymers was also evaluated on Caco-2 cell cultures in order to verify their biocompatibility when exposed to an absorptive epithelial cell line.