SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF POLY(ASPARTIC ACID) AND ITS DERIVATIVES AS BIODEGRADABLE MATERIALS

ABSTRACT

Three types of modified poly(aspartic acid)s, such as poly(aspartic acid-co-aminocarboxylic acid) (4), alkylamine modified poly(aspartic acid) (5) and crosslinked poly(aspartic acid) (6), were synthesized and calcium-ion chelating ability, hygroscopicity and water absorption were evaluated. The calcium-ion chelating ability of 4 depended on the kind of aminocarboxylic acids and the content of aminocarboxylic acid in the copolymer. The highest value was 3 times higher than that of poly(acrylic acid) with a M_w of 14000. The highly modified PASP, e.g., 50 mol% lauryl amine modified poly(aspartic acid), showed the highest by grogroscopicity among homopoly(aspartic acid)s and modified poly(aspartic acid)s. The maximum swelling of poly(aspartic acid) hydrogel prepared by the γ-irradiation of homopoly(as-partic acid) was 3400 g-deionized water/g-dry hydrogel.     

POLY(ASPARTIC ACID) HYDROGEL

ABSTRACT

Stimuli-responsive hydrogels have attracted much interest recently [1]. In this paper, we report a pH- and electrolyte-responsive hydrogel based on a crosslinked poly(aspartic acid). The lightly crosslinked, high molecular weight sodium polyas-partate impart extremely high water absorbency and can be used as a superabsorbent [2], It is derived from a naturally occurring non-toxic amino acid, L-aspartic acid. A hydrogel based on poly(as-partic acid) possesses most of the features of poly(acrylic acid) hydrogels plus improved biodegradability. We expect it to be useful in a variety of applications including personal care and biomedical areas.     

聚天冬氨酸硅质固定相的研制及应用

D，L-天冬氨酸在浓磷酸的存在下加热聚合生成聚琥珀酰亚胺，此产物能与氨丙基硅胶快速反应生成聚琥珀酰胺硅胶，然后再水解生成聚天冬氨酸硅质固定相．并对反应条件进行了优化、实验表明，聚天冬氨酸固定相对蛋白质有较好的分离能力和选择性．     

Molar Mass and Structural Characteristics of Poly[(lactide-co-(aspartic acid)] Block Copolymers

Summary: We report on various synthetic procedures for the preparation of biodegradable and biocompatible poly(lactide-co-aspartic acid) block copolymers based on natural monomeric units – lactic acid and aspartic acid. Multiblock poly(lactide-co-aspartic acid) copolymers of different comonomer composition were synthesized by heating a mixture of L-aspartic acid and L,L-lactide in melt without the addition of any catalyst or solvent and with further alkaline hydrolysis of the cyclic succinimide rings to aspartic acid units. Diblock poly(lactide-co-aspartic acid) copolymers with different block lengths were prepared by copolymerization of amino terminated poly(β-benzyl-L-aspartate) homopolymer and L,L-lactide with subsequent deprotection of the benzyl protected carboxyl group by hydrogenolysis. The differences in the structure, composition, molar mass characteristics, and water-solubility of the synthesized multiblock and diblock poly(lactide-co-aspartic acid) copolymers are discussed.     

Enhanced absorption and growth inhibition with amino acid monoester prodrugs of floxuridine by targeting hPEPT1 transporters

A series of amino acid monoester prodrugs of floxuridine was synthesized and evaluated for the improvement of oral bioavailability and the feasibility of target drug delivery via oligopeptide transporters. All floxuridine 5'-amino acid monoester prodrugs exhibited PEPT1 affinity, with inhibition coefficients of Gly-Sar uptake (IC50) ranging from 0.7 - 2.3 mM in Caco-2 and 2.0 - 4.8 mM in AsPC-1 cells, while that of floxuridine was 7.3 mM and 6.3 mM, respectively. Caco-2 membrane permeabilities of floxuridine prodrugs (1.01 - 5.31 x 10(-6 )cm/sec) and floxuridine (0.48 x 10(-6 )cm/sec) were much higher than that of 5-FU (0.038 x 10(-6) cm/sec). MDCK cells stably transfected with the human oligopeptide transporter PEPT1 (MDCK/hPEPT1) exhibited enhanced cell growth inhibition in the presence of the prodrugs. This prodrug strategy offers great potential, not only for increased drug absorption but also for improved tumor selectivity and drug efficacy.     

Novel ester linked glycosyl amino acids: convenient building blocks for the synthesis of glycopeptide libraries

The completely orthogonally protected aspartic acid derivative FmocAsp(OBn)O^tBu is readily synthesized on a large scale. Deprotection of the β-carboxylic acid allows coupling to various sugar derivatives via free hydroxyl groups to produce novel glycosyl amino acids. Subsequent deprotection of either the α-acid or nitrogen is achieved cleanly to allow elaboration into an oligopeptide, whilst selective deprotection of PMB protected sugar hydroxyls is also readily achievable. Such novel glycosyl amino acid building blocks may be useful for the combinatorial synthesis of novel glycopeptide libraries.     

Synthesis of Biodegradable Amphoteric Poly[(aspartic acid)‐co‐lysine] by Thermal Polycondensation

A new class of biodegradable polyampholytes, poly[(aspartic acid)‐co‐lysine], were synthesized by thermal polycondensation of aspartic acid and lysine under reduced pressure and subsequent hydrolysis. Polymerization conditions were optimized to yield maximal water‐soluble poly(succinimide‐co‐lysine) with high molecular weight (160°C/3.5 h). The succinimide/lysine ratio in the polyampholytes could be adjusted by their feed ratio. Characterization of the poly(succinimide‐co‐lysine) by ¹H NMR revealed that ω‐amine and carboxylic groups in lysine participated in the polymerization, leaving α‐amino groups as pendant cationic moieties.     

Synthesis and radical polymerization of end-methacrylated poly(succinimide) leading to poly(aspartic acid) hydrogel

The polycondensation of aspartic acid in the presence of phthalic anhydride was carried out in mesitylene/sulfolane using o-phosphoric acid as a catalyst. The polymer yields were 91–78%, when 5–20 mol-% phthalic anhydride was added into the feed. The obtained poly(succinimide) carried a phthalic imide unit and a succinic acid unit as end groups. In the MALDI-TOF mass spectrum, the peak-to-peak distances between adjacent signals were 97.07 m/z, corresponding to the calculated value (97.07) of the succinimide unit. Poly(succinimide) was reacted with 2-(methacryloxy)ethyl isocyanate to give end-methacrylated poly-(succinimide), in which the end-functionality of the methacrylate group was ca. 1. End-methacrylated poly-(succinimide) was polymerized with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate using 2,2′-azoisobutyronitrile to give poly(succinimide) gel, which could be converted into water-absorbing poly(aspartic acid) hydrogel.     

Expedient Total Synthesis of Triciribine and Its Prodrugs

Triciribine (TCN, 1) and its monophosphate (TCNP, 2) are tricyclic nucleotide derivatives that have potential antineoplastic activity. Triciribine inhibits the phosphorylation, activation, and signaling of Akt-1, -2, and -3, which may result in the inhibition of Akt-expressing tumor cell proliferation. Both TCN and TCNP have very low bioavailability, and the development of both drugs as intravenous (IV) treatments was halted because of the toxicity induced by the high doses needed for their use as general cytotoxic agents. This publication describes an expedient and straightforward total synthesis of amino acid prodrugs (3, 4) of TCN and TCNP. In our study, both the prodrugs significant improved the plasma exposure of the parent drugs and the prodrugs.     

Dual‐responsive crosslinked micelles of a multifunctional graft copolymer for drug delivery applications

A novel multifunctional amphiphilic graft copolymer has been synthesized consisting of a biodegradable poly(l ‐aspartic acid) backbone that was decorated by water‐soluble poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and pH‐responsive poly(N,N‐diethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDEAEMA) side‐chains as well as thiol pendant groups. This graft copolymer together with doxorubicin (DOX) formed micelles in water at pH = 10.0 with PDEAEMA and DOX acting as the core and PEG serving as the micellar corona. Upon oxidation, the thiol groups dimerized to form disulfide bonds, thus “locking in” the micellar structure. These crosslinked micelles expanded as the pH was decreased from 7.4 to 5.0 or upon the addition, at pH = 7.4, of glutathione (GSH), a thiol‐containing oligopeptide that is present in cancerous cells and cleaves disulfide bonds. At pH = 5.0, GSH addition triggered the disassembly of the micelles. The expansion and disassembly of the micelles have been determined via in vitro experiments to evaluate their DOX release behavior. More importantly, the graft copolymer micelles could enter cells by means of endocytosis and deliver DOX to the nuclei of ovarian cancer BEL‐7402 cells. Thus, this polymer and its micelles are promising candidates for drug delivery applications. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 1536–1546     

Kinetics of solid phase thermal polycondensation of aspartic acid in evacuated system

Solid phase thermal polycondensation of aspartic acid in evacuated system results in formation of poly(aspartic acid) at 190–207°C and in poly(succinimide) at 210–230°C. Kinetic parameters of formation of poly(aspartic acid) and poly(succinimide) have been determined. The aspartic acid → poly(aspartic acid) → poly(succinimide) polycondensation is accompanied by partial decarboxylation of the monomeric units.     

Design and synthesis of novel amphiphilic Janus dendrimers for bone-targeted drug delivery

In this paper, we synthesized a range of amphiphilic Janus dendrimers, which consisted of acidic amino acid and naproxen molecules as the peripheral groups, as novel potential bone-targeting dendritic drug delivery. These dendrimers take advantage of a dendritic display to carry multiple drug molecules and targeting moieties simultaneously. All of the dendrimers exhibited more than 80% binding rates to hydroxyapatite (HAP), especially the [G₂]-dendrimers (2a and 2b) showed dramatic binding rates (>95%). Moreover, the solubility of naproxen was remarkably enhanced by the dendritic drug delivery system, especially the naproxen concentration of 2b achieved 5.37 mg/ml, which is more than 28-fold over that of native drug. Furthermore, cell viability studies showed that all the dendrimers exhibited no significant cytotoxicity against HEK293 cells. These results provided an effective entry to the development of new bone-targeting drugs.     

Synthesis and helical conformation of poly(N‐propargylamides) carrying L‐aspartic acid in the side chain

Aspartic acid‐based novel poly(N‐propargylamides), i.e., poly[N‐(α‐tert‐butoxycarbonyl)‐L ‐aspartic acid β‐benzyl ester N′‐propargylamide] [poly( 1 )] and poly[N‐(α‐tert‐butoxycarbonyl)‐L ‐aspartic acid α‐benzyl ester N′‐propargylamide] [poly( 2 )] with moderate molecular weights were synthesized by the polymerization of the corresponding monomers 1 and 2 catalyzed with (nbd)Rh⁺[η⁶‐C₆H₅B^?(C₆H₅)₃] in CHCl₃ at 30 °C for 2 h in high yields. The chiroptical studies revealed that poly( 1 ) took a helical structure in DMF, while poly( 2 ) did not in DMF but did in CH₂Cl₂, CHCl₃, and toluene. The helicity of poly( 1 ) and poly( 2 ) could be tuned by temperature and solvents. Poly( 2 ) underwent solvent‐driven switch of helical sense, accompanying the change of the tightness. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 5168–5176, 2005     

Synthesis and NMR Characterization of Multi‐hydroxyl End‐groups PEG and PLGA‐PEG Barbell‐like Copolymers

Multi‐hydroxyl end‐groups poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) was prepared from PEG and epichlorohydrin. Then, PEG‐supported poly(lactic‐ran‐glycolic acid) (PLGA)_n‐PEG‐(PLGA)_n (n=1, 2, 4) linear‐dendritic barbell‐like copolymers were synthesized through direct polycondensation under bulk condition from the multi‐hydroxyl end‐groups PEG, lactic acid and glycolic acid. Arm numbers were varied, with 2, 4 and 8, by using bis‐, tetra‐, and octa‐hydroxyl end‐groups PEG, respectively. The chemical structures, absolute number‐average molecular weight, the monomer units per single arm and the molar ratio of hydroxyl acid monomer units of the (PLGA)_n‐PEG‐(PLGA)_n barbell‐like copolymers were analyzed by NMR spectroscopy. The result indicated that the structures of the multi‐hydroxyl end‐groups PEG and (PLGA)_n‐PEG‐(PLGA)_n barbell‐like copolymers were consistent with design. Compared with the theoretical values, molecular weights determined by ¹H‐NMR end‐group analysis gave reasonably consistent values, but the values determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) were considerably less than theoretical values. The results indicated that (PLGA)_n‐PEG‐(PLGA)_n copolymers have linear‐dendritic structures.     

The Formation of Biodegradable Polymeric Micelles from Newly Synthesized Poly(aspartic acid)‐block‐Polylactide AB‐Type Diblock Copolymers

Summary: A poly(aspartic acid)‐block‐polylactide (PAsp‐block‐PLA) diblock copolymer was synthesized through the polymerization of β‐benzyl‐L ‐aspartate‐N‐carboxyanhydride [Asp(OBzl)‐NCA] with amino‐terminating polylactide (NH₂‐PLA) as a macroinitiator. The chain length of the PAsp segment could be easily controlled by changing the monomer/initiator ratio. Dynamic light scattering measurements of PAsp‐block‐PLA aqueous solutions revealed the formation of polymeric micelles. Changes in the micelles as a function of pH were investigated.

The structure and formation of micelles of the poly(aspartic acid)‐block‐polylactide (PAsp‐block‐PLA) diblock copolymers synthesized here.     

Acid-catalyzed copolymerization of aspartic acid with ω-amino acid. -Biodegradability and Ca2+ chelating ability of poly(aspartic acid -Co- ω-amino acid)-

The polycondensation of L-aspartic acid (1) with various ω-amino acids (2) using phosphoric acid catalyst produced poly(succinimide-co-ω-amino acid)s (3), which was followed by alkali hydrolysis to poly(aspartic acid-co-ω-amino acid) (4). The Ca²⁺ chelating abilities of 4 depended on the content of comonomer unit in the copolymer and on the kind of amino acids. For the copolymer using 11-aminoundecanoic acid (2d) as a comonomer, the Ca²⁺ chelating ability was higher than that of poly(sodium acrylate). For poly(aspartic acid-co-6-aminocaproic acid) (4c), there was a tendency to increase according to the increase of 6-aminocaproic acid (2c) unit in the copolymer. The biodegradability of the copolymer in the case of 2c as a comonomer, evaluated by TOC measurement, was 63%, which was the highest degradability among the copolymers having different methylen length. The biodegradability of 4c decreased with increasing the 2c unit in 4c.     

Extractionless HPLC Method for the Determination of Naproxen in Human Plasma and Urine

Abstract

A simple and rapid (extractionless) high-performance liquid chromatographic method with ultraviolet detection, at 278 nm, is described for the determination of naproxen in human plasma and urine. Niflumic acid is used as internal standard. The chromatographic system consists of a reversed-phase C18-Spherisorb column with acetonitrile/0.1 M sodium acetate (35:65 v/v, pH 6.14) as the mobile phase. The retention time is 3.0 min for naproxen and 3.8 min for niflumic acid. The total run time is 5 min and the typical assay time is 10 min. The method is sufficiently sensitive for biopharmaceutical studies, after the oral administration of a single sustained release dose.     

Synthesis and solution properties of anionic linear–dendritic block amphiphiles

The design and synthesis of novel linear–dendritic diblock amphiphiles with linear poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) as the hydrophilic block and dendritic poly(benzyl ether) as the hydrophobic block are described. The synthetic process consisted of two steps: a poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA)–poly(benzyl ether) dendrimer series were synthesized with atom transfer radical polymerization, and through the hydrolysis of linear PMA block into PAA, amphiphilic block copolymers, the PAA–poly(benzyl ether) dendrimer series, were obtained. The copolymers were characterized by ¹H NMR, Fourier transform infrared, and size exclusion chromatography and exhibited well‐defined architectures and low polydispersities. When the generation number of the dendritic block (G_i) less or equal to 3 and the degree of polymerization of the linear chain (n) was greater than 10, the amphiphiles were water‐soluble. The solution intrinsic viscosity increased with both the length of linear chain and the generation number of the dendritic block. The results obtained demonstrate that dendritic blocks play an unusual role in aqueous solutions of amphiphiles. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 4282–4288, 2000     

Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization with Polypeptide Initiators: A General Approach to Block Copolymers of Sequence‐Defined Polypeptides and Synthetic Polymers

Summary: A novel two‐step polymerization strategy allowing the integration of sequence‐defined oligopeptides into synthetic polymers has been demonstrated by the successful synthesis of an oligopeptide‐block‐poly(n‐butyl acrylate) copolymer. The approach utilizes a solid‐phase supported synthesis of an oligopeptide macroinitiator (SPPS) followed by solution‐phase atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiated by the oligopeptide macroinitiator. The resulting block copolymer exhibited a low (1.19) and a controllable .

Poly(n‐butyl acrylate)‐block‐oligopeptide.     

Rapid controlled hydrolytic degradation of poly(l-lactic acid) by blending with poly(aspartic acid-co-l-lactide)

Although poly(lactic acid) is known as a biodegradable polymer, its hydrolytic degradation is extremely slow, taking years in water and in the human body. In this study the effects of blending oligomeric poly(aspartic acid-co-lactide) (PALs) on the hydrolytic degradation of poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) were studied in detail. It was found that the addition of PAL did not accelerate the hydrolysis of the PLLA in air (25 °C, 60% relative humidity), but significantly accelerated it in a phosphate buffer solution. The degradation rate becomes higher for the blends containing PAL with higher molar ratios of lactide to aspartic acid units, [LA]/[Asp], when PLLA/PAL blends prepared with different PALs are compared at the same PAL concentration. TEM results, in which the distribution of PALs with higher [LA]/[Asp] occurs at a smaller scale in blends, imply that higher miscibility of the PAL with PLLA results in higher contact area between the components, thereby accelerating the degradation efficiently.