MUC1 vaccines using β-cyclodextrin grafted chitosan (CS-g-CD) as carrier via host-guest interaction elicit robust immune responses

We construct MUC1 vaccines using β-cyclodextrin grafted chitosan (CS-g-CD) as carrier via host-guest interaction. These vaccines based on non-covalent assembling can provoke robust immune responses, including high level of specific antibodies and cytokines. The induced antibodies can specifically recognize tumor cells and mediate cytotoxicity against tumor cells. These results indicate that CS-g-CD with strong immunostimulatory activities can be a straightforward platform for peptide-based vaccine construction.     

Chitosan-Based Surface Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Microspheres for Sustained Release of Sinomenine Hydrochloride in Aqueous Media

The surface molecular imprinting technique has been proposed as a prospective strategy for template molecule recognition and separation by devising the recognition sites on the surface of imprinted materials. The purpose of this study was to establish a novel drug delivery system which was developed by surface molecular imprinting method using β-cyclodextrin (β-CD)-grafted chitosan (CS) (CS-g-β-CD) microspheres as matrix and sinomenine hydrochloride (SM) as the template molecule. By adjusting the amount of functional monomer and cross-linking agent, we got the more excellent adsorption of CS-g-β-CD molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs-CS-g-β-CD). When the amount of functional monomer was 6 mmol and cross-linking agent was 20 mmol, the maximum binding capacity of MIPs and non-imprinted polymers (NIPs) was 55.9 mg/g and 37.2 mg/g, respectively. The results indicated that the recognition of SM with MIPs was superior to NIPs. The adsorption isotherms of MIPs-CS-g-β-CD indicated that the adsorption behavior fitted better to the Langmuir model, which showed that the adsorption process of polymer was monomolecular layer. In in vitro drug release studies, the accumulative release amount of MIPs-CS-g-β-CD was up to 78% within 24 h. MIPs exhibited an excellent controlled SM release profile without burst release and the mechanism of SM release was shown to conform to non-Fick diffusion. Therefore, MIPs-CS-g-β-CD were successfully applied to extraction of SM and used as the materials for drug delivery system.     

Stabilization of electrospun poly(vinyl alcohol) nanofibrous mats in aqueous solutions

<正>The stability ofpoly(vinyl alcohol)(PVA) nanofibrous mats in water media was improved by post-electrospinning treatments.Bifunctional glutaraldehyde(GA) in methanol was used as a crosslinking agent to stabilize PVA nanofiber,but fiber twinning was observed frequently,and the highly porous structure of PVA nanofibrous mats was destroyed when the crosslinked fiber was soaked in water.To overcome this shortcoming,chitosan(CS) was introduced into the PVA spinning solution to prepare PVA/CS composite nanofibers.Their treatment in GA/methanol solution could retain the fiber morphology of PVA/CS nanofibers and porous structure of PVA/CS nanofibrous mats even if they were soaked in aqueous solutions for 1 month.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),thermal gravimetric analysis(TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) were applied to characterize the physicochemical structure and thermal properties of PVA nanofibers.It was found that the water resistance of PVA nanofibrous mats was enhanced because of the improvement of the degree of crosslinking and crystallinity in the electrospun PVA fibers after soaking in GA/methanol solution.     

Preparation and chromatographic evaluation of a chiral stationary phase based on carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin for high-performance liquid chromatography

A novel chiral stationary phase (CSP) was prepared by chemically bonding carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin (CM-β-CD) onto 3-aminopropyl silica gel and showed excellent enantioseparation abilities for a broad range of chiral compounds and drugs.     

PVA/GA/β-CD纳米纤维的制备及染料吸附性能

利用静电纺丝技术,以六氟异丙醇(HFIP)和水为溶剂,制备了环糊精(β-CD)含量为70%(质量分数)的聚乙烯醇(PVA)/β-CD纳米纤维,并经戊二醛(GA)交联处理得到了可用于染料吸附的PVA/GA/β-CD纳米纤维.通过红外光谱和扫描电子显微镜研究了交联反应前后纳米纤维组成和形貌的变化;考察了PVA/GA/β-CD纳米纤维对7种水溶性染料的吸附性能.结果表明,PVA/GA/β-CD纳米纤维对孔雀石绿、甲基紫和刚果红的吸附效果较好,最大吸附量分别为124.71,121.14和127.39 mg/g,4次吸附-解吸附循环后,染料去除率仍保持80%左右,在染料废水处理中具有良好的应用前景.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Chitosan-grafl-Poly（lactic acid） Copolymer

Chitosan-graft-poly(lactic acid)(CS-g-PLA) copolymer was synthesized through emulsion self-assembly in a water-in-oil(W/O) microemulsion. The water phase was composed of CS aqueous solution, while the oil phase was made up of PLA in chloroform. The W/O microemulsion was fabricated in the presence of surfactant span-80 and the self-assembly was performed between PLA and CS under the effect of N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N′-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride(EDC·HCl). FTIR and1H-NMR analysis indicated PLA was grafted onto the backbone of CS via the reaction between the carboxyl groups in PLA and the amino groups in CS.1H-NMR characterization further revealed the grafting content of PLA was 16%. The obtained CS-g-PLA could self-assemble to form micelles, their size distributed in the range of 125 375 nm with average diameter of 142 nm. The present design integrates the favorable biological properties of CS and the excellent mechanical properties of PLA, which makes CS-g-PLA copolymer a promising candidate as a carrier for targeted bioactive molecules delivery.     

Biomimetic approach towards the preparation of hydroxyapatite and hydroxyapatite/chitosan/β-cyclodextrin nanoparticles: application to controlled drug release

Hydroxyapatite (HAp) and hydroxyapatite/chitosan/β-cyclodextrin (HAp/CS/β-CD) nanoparticles were successfully prepared in the modified simulated body fluid (SBF) solution at the physiological conditions (pH 7.4, temperature?=?37 °C). CS/β-CD nanoparticles acted as templates for the synthesis of HAp/CS/β-CD nanoparticles to improve the nanoarchitecture of HAp and its crystallinity.The nanoparticles were characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Kneading and coprecipitation methods were applied to prepare the inclusion complex involving β-CD and p-THPP (5,10,15,20-tetrakis(4-hydroxyphenyl)porphyrin), a photosensitizer for anti-cancer drugs. The 1:1 stoichiometric ratio of the formed inclusion complex was characterized by a formation constant of 7.216?×?10² mol^?1 dm³ and analyzed by ¹H NMR, FTIR, and UV–Vis. The p-THPP delivery release in vitro was in this order: HAp/CS/β-CD?<?CS/β-CD?<?<?HAp/β-CD?<?β-CD, hinting at a better controlled release by HAp/CS/β-CD nanoparticles.     

Photocrosslinked methacrylated chitosan-based nanofibrous scaffolds as potential skin substitute

Nanofibers based on natural polymers have recently been attracting research interest as promising materials for use as skin substitutes. Here, we prepared photocrosslinked nanofibrous scaffolds based on methacrylated chitosan (MACS) by photocrosslinking electrospun methacrylated chitosan/poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) mats and subsequently removing PVA from the nanofibers. We comprehensively investigated the solution properties of MACS/PVA precursors, the intermolecular action between MACS and PVA components, and the morphology of MACS/PVA nanofibers. Results indicated that the fiber diameter and morphology of the photocrosslinked methacrylated chitosan-based nanofibrous scaffolds were controlled by the MACS/PVA mass ratio and showed highly micro-porous structures with many fibrils. In vitro cytotoxicity evaluation and cell culture experiments confirmed that MACS-based mats with micro-pore structure were biocompatible with L929 cells and facilitated cellular migration into the 3D matrix, demonstrating their potential application as skin replacements for wound repair.     

In-situ thermal crosslinked PA66/β-cyclodextrin/PA66 nanofibrous membranes with high mechanical strength for removal of heavy metal ions by flow through adsorption

β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) based materials have been studied widely as adsorbents and filter membranes for removing pollutants in air or water applications. The present study aimed to develop a sandwich structure of eletrospun nanofibrous membrane based on β-cyclodextrin and PA66 to achieve the high mechanical strength and flow-through adsorption of heavy metal ions in water. The surface and cross section morphology of PA66/β-cyclodextrin/PA66 nanofibrous membranes (PA66/β-CD/PA66 NMs) were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The physicochemical and mechanical properties of PA66/β-CD/PA66 NMs were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric (TG) analysis and universal testing machine. The diameter of β-CD and PA66 electrospun fibers are 300–400 nm and 20–40 nm respectively. PA66/β-CD/PA66 NMs show a loosely arranged fibers and layer by layer structure. The tensile strength increases remarkably for PA66/β-CD/PA66 NMs, from 1.33 MPa of β-CD NMs to 23.17 MPa and the Young's modulus increases from 34.8 MPa to 253.3 MPa. The mechanical behavior of PA66/β-CD/PA66 NMs is a typical brittle fracture, and its microcosmic fracture diagrams are also involved. TGA/DSC results confirm the thermal crosslinking reaction is effective and complete. On the basis of SEM, DSC, TG and mechanical behavior analysis results, the molecular mechanism of in situ thermal crosslinking reaction is discussed. Fe³⁺、Ni²⁺ were used to confirm the ability to absorb heavy metal ions of PA66/β-CD/PA66 NMs. In conclusion, PA66/β-CD/PA66 NMs could be a promising solution for removal of metal ions by flow-through adsorption.     

Inclusion complexes of melatonin with modified cyclodextrins

The solubility of melatonin (MT) was improved with the addition of modified cyclodextrins (CDs). The solubilities of MT in the presence of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD), mono-6-O-maltosyl-β-cyclodextrin (mono-G₂-β-CD), methyl-β-cyclodextrin (Me-β-CD), and sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin (SBE-β-CD) were higher than that of MT itself. In particular, the solubility of MT in the presence of SBE-β-CD was 11 times higher than that of MT itself. The stability constant (K) obtained based on the fluorescence intensity was 490 L/mol for the MT/SBE-β-CD inclusion complex. The structure of the MT/SBE-β-CD complex in aqueous solution was examined by ¹H–¹H rotating frame nuclear overhauser effect spectroscopy NMR. A 5-methoxy moiety of MT was included from the secondary hydroxyl face of SBE-β-CD. The MT/SBE-β-CD inclusion complex was prepared by the freeze-drying method. The results of X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry confirmed the formation of the complex in solid.     

Inclusion complex of α-lipoic acid and modified cyclodextrins

The solubility of α-lipoic acid (LA) with the addition of modified cyclodextrins was investigated using the solubility method. The solubility of LA in the presence of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD), mono-6-O-glucopyranosyl-β-cyclodextrin (mono-G₁-β-CD), methyl-β-cyclodextrin (Me-β-CD), 2,6-di-O-methyl-β-cyclodextrin (DM-β-CD), and sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin (SBE-β-CD) was higher than that of LA itself. In particular, the solubility of LA in the presence of SBE-β-CD was 20 times higher than that of LA alone. The structure of the inclusion complex of SBE-β-CD and LA in aqueous solution was examined by ¹H-¹H ROESY NMR spectroscopy. The 1,2-dithiolane moiety of LA was included from the secondary hydroxyl face of SBE-β-CD. The solid complexes of LA and SBE-β-CD were prepared by the kneading and freeze-drying methods. Formation of the solid complexes was confirmed by X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and infrared spectroscopy (IR). The kneading and freeze-drying methods were successful for obtaining the solid inclusion complexes with improved thermal stability.     

Preparation and Drug Release of PVA Composite Nanofibers Loaded Chitosan Microsphere

In this paper, we reported the fabrication of poly(vinyl alcohol)-chitosan (PVA-CS) microspheres composite nanofibers by electrospinning technique. The chitosan microspheres were firstly prepared by electrospray with the solution of chitosan and combretastatin A4. The morphology and size distribution of chitosan microspheres were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. The influencing factors including the concentrations of both PVA and CS microspheres were studied. The physical properties of the composite nanofibers were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The drug release rate, MTT toxicity test, and cell culture were also investigated in detail. Results indicate that the chitosan microsphere-loaded composite nanofibers can be prepared when the PVA concentration is 120 mg/mL. The continuity of the nanofibers was influenced by the concentration of CS microspheres. The characteristic peaks of CS or PVA were not observed in the diffractograms after the CS and PVA were processed using the high-voltage electrostatic technique. In addition, the drug release rate showed that nanofibers induce an obvious slow-release effect. Composite nanofibers were non-toxic to fibroblasts cells, and the fibroblasts cells could proliferate on the nanofiber mat.     

Preparation and characterization of stable chitosan nanofibrous membrane for lipase immobilization

Nanofibrous membrane with a fiber diameter of 80-150 nm was fabricated from mixed chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) solution by an electrospinning process. Field emission scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope were used to characterize the morphology of the nanofibrous membrane. It was found that chitosan nanofibrous membrane with stabilized morphology could be prepared through removing most of PVA from the nascent one with 0.5 M NaOH aqueous solution. This treatment also resulted in an obvious decrease in fiber diameter. The stabilized chitosan nanofibrous membrane was explored as support for enzyme immobilization due to the characteristics of excellent biocompatibility, high surface/volume ratio, and large porosity. Lipase from Candida rugosa was immobilized on the nanofibrous membrane using glutaraldehyde (GA) as coupling reagent. The properties of the immobilized lipase were assayed and compared with the free one. Results showed that, the observed lipase loading on this nanofibrous membrane was up to 63.6 mg/g and the activity retention of the immobilized lipase was 49.8% under the optimum condition. The pH and thermal stabilities of lipase were improved after it was immobilized on the chitosan nanofibrous membrane. In addition, the experimental results of reusability and storage stability indicated that the residual activities of the immobilized lipase were 46% after 10 cycles and 56.2% after 30 days, which were obviously higher than that of the free one.     

Improved cellular response on multiwalled carbon nanotube-incorporated electrospun polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan nanofibrous scaffolds

We report the fabrication of multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-incorporated electrospun polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/chitosan (CS) nanofibers with improved cellular response for potential tissue engineering applications. In this study, smooth and uniform PVA/CS and PVA/CS/MWCNTs nanofibers with water stability were formed by electrospinning, followed by crosslinking with glutaraldehyde vapor. The morphology, structure, and mechanical properties of the formed electrospun fibrous mats were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and mechanical testing, respectively. We showed that the incorporation of MWCNTs did not appreciably affect the morphology of the PVA/CS nanofibers; importantly the protein adsorption ability of the nanofibers was significantly improved. In vitro cell culture of mouse fibroblasts (L929) seeded onto the electrospun scaffolds showed that the incorporation of MWCNTs into the PVA/CS nanofibers significantly promoted cell proliferation. Results from this study hence suggest that MWCNT-incorporated PVA/CS nanofibrous scaffolds with small diameters (around 160 nm) and high porosity can mimic the natural extracellular matrix well, and potentially provide many possibilities for applications in the fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.     

Epidermal cellular response to poly(vinyl alcohol) nanofibers containing silver nanoparticles

A heat-treated PVA nanofibrous matrix containing silver (Ag) was prepared by electrospinning an aqueous 10 wt% PVA solution and followed by heat treatment at 150 °C for 10 min. The average diameter of the as-spun and heat-treated PVA nanofibers was 330 nm. The heat-treated PVA nanofibrous matrix containing Ag was irradiated with UV light to transform the Ag ions in the nanofibrous matrix into Ag nanoparticles. The in vitro cytotoxicity of the Ag ions and/or nanoparticles on normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK) and fibroblasts (NHEF) cultures was examined. The PVA nanofibrous matrix containing Ag showed slightly higher level of attachment and spreading in the early stage culture (1 h) than the PVA nanofibers without Ag (control). However, compared with the PVA nanofibers without Ag, the heat-treated and UV-irradiated PVA nanofibers, containing mainly Ag ions and nanoparticles, respectively, showed reduced cell attachment and spreading. This shows that both Ag ions and Ag nanoparticles are cytotoxic to NHEK and NHEF. There was no significant difference in cytotoxicity to NHEK and NHEF between Ag ions and Ag nanoparticles. NHEF appeared to be more sensitive to Ag ions or particles than NHEK. In addition, the residual nitrate ions (NO₃⁻) in the PVA nanofibers had an adverse effect on the culture of both cells.     

Unique catalytic effect of a cyclodextrin host on photodimerization of coumarin in nonpolar solvents

Heptakis(6-O-tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-β-cyclodextrin (TBDMS-β-CD) formed inclusion complexes with coumarin in benzene and cyclohexane. The inclusion mode of coumarin within the TBDMS-β-CD cavity was different between these solvents. Photodimerization of coumarin in the solvents was remarkably accelerated by the inclusion within the TBDMS-β-CD cavity. In particular, the largest rate increase was observed when 1.0 equiv of TBDMS-β-CD was added to coumarin.     

Study on Molecular Recognition of Pinocembrin with Methylated-β-Cyclodextrin

The inclusion behavior, inclusion capacity and inclusion mode of pinocembrin (PIN) with dimethyl-β-cyclodextrin (DM-β-CD) and trimethyl-β-cyclodextrin (TM-β-CD) were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-visible spectral titration and molecular docking. The results showed that the packing ratio of PIN/DM-β-CD complex and PIN/TM-β-CD complex was 1:1. The water solubility of PIN increased by 817 times and 575 times in the inclusion complex with DM-β-CD and TM-β-CD, respectively. Molecular docking showed the PIN entered from the large end of the DM-β-CD molecule and penetrated through the cavity. The A and B rings of the PIN were respectively located at the big and small ends of the CD molecule. For the TM-β-CD, only A and C rings of the PIN entered the cavity of CD.     

Comparison of different heptakis(6-O-alkyldimethylsilyl-2-3-di-O-ethyl)-β-cyclodextrins as chiral stationary phases in capillary GC

Three new β-cyclodextrin derivatives, heptakis(6-O-isopropyldi-methylsilyl-2,3-di-O-ethyl)-β-cyclodextrin, heptakis(6-O-thexyldi-methylsilyl-2,3-di-O-ethyl)-β-cyclodextrin, and heptakis(6-O-cy-clohexyldimethyl-2,3-di-O-ethyl)-β-cyclodextrin (IPDE-β-CD, TXDE-β-CD, and CHDE-β-CD), were synthesized and the enan-tioselectivities of these three CD derivatives and heptakis(6-O-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-2,3-di-O-ethyl)-β-cyclodextrin (TBDE-β-CD) were compared for GC separation of a range of chiral test com-pounds. In particular TXDE-β-CD showed much higher enentio-selectivity than TBDE-β-CD. Enentioselectivities of IPDE-β-CD and CHDE-β-CD are somewhat lower than that of TXDE-β-CD and CHDE-β-Cd are somewhat lower than that of TXDE-β-CD. These observations are indicative of significant effects of subtle changes in the structure of the 6-O-substituent on the enantioselec-tivity of the β-CD derivatives. The difference in enantioselectivities of the 6-O-substituted CD derivatives were explained in terms of relative contributions of the effects of hydrophobicity and steric hindrance of the substituent to the inclusion process. CHDE-β-CD showed the lowest enantioselectivity among the threederivatives. It is likely that the unfavorable steric hindrance of the bulky cyclo-hexyl group plays a greater role than the favorable hydrophobicity effect of the cyclohexyl group in the inclusion process in CHDE-β-CD. IPDE-β-CD showed lower selectivity than TXDE-β-CD and TBDE-β-CD. In the case of these CD derivatives having acyclic substituents the relative hydrophobicity of the substituent seems to be a dominant factor affecting the inclusion process. Isopropyl groups factor affecting the inclusion process. Isopropyl groups are less hydrophobic than thexyl and tert-butyl groups.     

Structure characterizations and protein resistance of chitosan membranes selectively crosslinked by poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate

Chitosan (CS) is a fragile material with a high modulus of elasticity. Improving its flexibility as well as membrane permeability are the key aspects that need to be addressed for using CS as a biomaterial. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) has several unique properties such as protein resistance, low toxicity, immunogenicity, and good solubility in both water and organic solvents. In this study, a vinyl compound was grafted to the C-6 position of CS by protection-grafting-deprotection. The vinyl CS was then crosslinked with PEG dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) selectively at its C-6 position to form CS-g-PEG copolymer membranes. Analyses from spectra of Fourier-transform infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance confirmed the chemical structure of the crosslinking CS-g-PEG copolymer membranes. Thermal and mechanical properties of the prepared CS-g-PEG membranes were measured and well-correlated to their structures. The incorporation of PEGDMA into the CS increased the material’s flexibility and thermal resistance. Finally, the CS-g-PEG membranes were found to have good protein resistance and blood compatibility; therefore, it has potential application as the biomedical material especially for hemodialysis.     

The screening and evaluating of chitosan/β-cyclodextrin nanoparticles for effective delivery mitoxantrone hydrochloride

The complex of chitosan and β-cyclodextrin (CS-CMβ-CD) has been widely used as drug carrier because it binds the advantages of GCH and β-CDs. But further investigation is still needed to improve their delivery performance before CS-β-CD derivatives can be used as clinical cancer-drug carriers. The aim of the study is to screen suitable carriers of the deviants of chitosan and β-cyclodextrin by evaluating the delivery performance of several carriers towards anticancer drugs. Three kinds of GCS _n -CM _m β-CD polymers made of different amount of glycol chitosan (GCS) and carboxymethyl-β-cyclodextrin (CMβ-CD) were synthesized and GCS_7.5-CM_3-7β-CD was chosen to deliver the drugs due to its better properties. GCS_7.5-CM_3-7β-CD polymers have better cell adhesion performance than GCS, help to directional drug delivery. Then, mitoxantrone hydrochloride (MAH) was used as a model drug to evaluate the loading and releasing properties of GCS_7.5-CM_3-7β-CD polymers. GCS_7.5-CM_3-7β-CD polymers could encapsulate MAH with higher loading efficiency and provide pH sensitive MAH release. The amount of MAH released in acidic medium (pH 5.0) was greater than that in weakly basic medium (pH 7.4). The MAH-loaded nanoparticles shows similar inhibition ability as free MAH to HCT116 cell lines, indicate that MAH can be release from the carrier and kill the cancer cells. In addition, the blank GCS_7.5-CM_3-7β-CD nanoparticles show good biocompatibility to the cell. That is to say, GCS_7.5-CM_3-7β-CD polymers not only have the ability to targeting drug delivery but also can realize pH sensitive release, which make them perspective in cancer pharmaceutical application.