Influence of cellulose nanowhiskers on the hydrolytic degradation behavior of poly(d,l-lactide)

This paper reports the preparation of bionanocomposites based on poly(d,l-lactide) and cellulose nanowhiskers (PDLLA/CNWs) and studies the influence of the CNWs on the hydrolytic degradation behavior of the polylactide. The hydrolytic degradation process was studied in a phosphate buffer medium through the sample weight loss and also by FTIR, DSC and TGA measurements. The presence of CNWs induced a strong delay in the hydrolytic degradation of the PDLLA, even when the concentration of the nanofillers was only 1%. This effect was related to the physical barrier created by the highly crystalline CNWs that inhibited water absorption and hence retarded the hydrolytic degradation of the bionanocomposites. In addition, the incorporation of cellulose nanocrystals in the PDLLA also made the biopolymer more thermally stable, increasing the initial temperature of mass loss even after the degradation in phosphate medium. The results presented here show the possibility of controlling the biodegradability and prolonging the service life of a polylactide through the incorporation of a small quantity of nanofillers obtained from renewable materials.     

Characterization and release of triptolide-loaded poly (d,l-lactic acid) nanoparticles

Triptolide (TP), which has immunosuppressive effect, anti-neoplastic activity, anti-fertility function and severe toxicities on digestive, urogenital, blood circulatory system, was used as a model drug in this study. TP-loaded poly (d,l-lactic acid) (PLA) nanoparticles were prepared by the modified spontaneous emulsification solvent diffusion method (modified-SESD method). Dynamic light scattering system (DLS), transmission electron microscope (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray powder diffractometry and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR) were employed to characterize the nanoparticles fabricated for size and size distribution, surface morphology, the physical state of drug in nanoparticles, and the interaction between the drug and polymer. Encapsulation efficiency (EE) and the in vitro release of TP in nanoparticles were measured by the reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The produced nanoparticles exhibited a narrow size distribution with a mean size of approximately 150 nm and polydispersity index of 0.088. The morphology of the nanoparticles exhibited a fine spherical shape with smooth surfaces without aggregation or adhesion. TP-entrapped in nanoparticles was found in the form of amorphous or semicrystalline. It was found that a weak interaction existed between the drug and polymer. In all experiments, more than 65% of EE were obtained. The in vitro release profile of TP from nanoparticles exhibited a typical biphasic release phenomenon, namely initial burst release and consequently sustained release. In this case, the particle size played an important role for the drug release. The modified-SESD method was a potential and advantage method to produce an ideal polymer nanoparticles for drug delivery system (DDS).     

Mechanistic study of hydrolytic erosion and drug release behaviour of PLGA nanoparticles: Influence of chitosan

The hydrolytic erosion of poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles (PLGA-NPs) was investigated in vitro. The changes in physical properties of the nanoparticles with time were evaluated by ultra high-pressure liquid chromatographic (UHPLC) analysis, particle size analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Mass reduction data demonstrated a triphasic erosion pattern for PLGA-NPs with nearly no mass loss (3.0%) up to a week, followed by a rapid mass loss (weeks 1-3, 61.4%), and further followed by slow mass loss (weeks 3-5, 19.8%). SEM revealed microcavitation on the surface of nanoparticles, which tended to increase with the erosion time and eventually particle fragmentation was evident at 5 weeks. A significant increase in particle size was observed at 4 weeks which can be attributed to particle aggregation, however, at about 5 weeks, the particle size decreased significantly owing to particle fragmentation. The hydrolytic erosion of PLGA-NPs was found to be specifically proton catalyzed. The release profile of the model drug, moxifloxacin, from PLGA-NPs was closely related to nanoparticle erosion except for the initial burst release which was based on diffusion. The presence of chitosan in the PLGA-NPs accelerated the rate of erosion of the nanoparticles and reduced the burst release of the drug. An understanding of the erosion mechanism and alteration in erosion by chitosan could give desirable and more uniform drug release kinetics from PLGA-NPs.     

Effects of molecular weight and small amounts of d-lactide units on hydrolytic degradation of poly(l-lactic acid)s

Films of poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) with different number-average molecular weights (M_n) and d-lactide unit contents (X_d) were made amorphous and the effects of molecular weight and small amounts of d-lactide units on the hydrolytic degradation behavior in phosphate-buffered solution at 37 °C of PLLA were investigated. The degraded films were investigated using gravimetry, gel permeation chromatography, polarimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffractometry, and tensile testing. To exclude the effects of crystallinity on the hydrolytic degradation, the films were made amorphous by melt-quenching. The incorporation of small amounts of d-lactide units drastically enhanced the hydrolytic degradation of PLLA. In the period of 0-32 weeks, the hydrolytic degradation rate constant (k) of PLLA films increased with increasing X_d, while the k values did not depend on M_n. This means that the effects of X_d on the hydrolytic degradation rate of the films are higher than those of M_n. In contrast, in the period of 32-60 weeks neither X_d nor M_n was a crucial parameter to determine k values, probably because in addition to these parameters the differences in the amount of catalytic oligomers accumulated in films and crystallinity affect the hydrolytic degradation behavior of the films. The initially amorphous PLLA films remained amorphous even after the hydrolytic degradation for 60 weeks.     

Swelling and hydrolytic degradation of poly(d,l-lactic acid) in aqueous solutions

Low molecular weight poly(lactic acid) was synthesized by direct polycondensation of lactic acid. The oligomers were characterized by viscometry, light scattering, and gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The swelling behaviour of tablets made of the above polymer immersed in buffer solutions at 37 °C was studied. In the same experiments, the hydrolytic stability of d,l-PLA was assessed by measuring the weight loss after drying the tablets. In order to inhibit any degradation due to bacteria, formaldehyde was added in the solution as biostatic factor. The effect of an incorporated drug on the swelling behaviour of d,l-PLA tablets was also considered. It was found that the incorporation of drug in d,l-PLA tablets increases their swelling index, probably due to the creation of additional porosity in the specimens or other interaction between drug and polymeric matrix.     

Kinetics of thermo-oxidative and thermal degradation of poly(d,l-lactide) (PDLLA) at processing temperature

Poly(d,l-lactide) (PDLLA) degraded at processing temperature under air and nitrogen. A random chain scission model was established and used to determine the activation energy E_a, and FT-IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR were used to elucidate the degradation behavior under different atmospheres. Results showed that there were two to three stages. The 1st stage was dominated by the oligomers containing carboxylic acid groups and hydroxyl groups, during which oxygen and nitrogen had little effect on the degradation, thus they share similar E_a. When the oligomers were consumed over or evaporated, the 2nd stage began, and oxygen had a promoting effect on the thermo-oxidation process, resulting in the great decrease in E_a. The third stage of PDLLA was observed when it degraded under nitrogen over 200 °C, which was caused by the appearance of carboxylic acid substance.     

A convenient synthesis of l-ribose from d-fructose

An efficient method for the stereoselective synthesis of l-ribose was accomplished starting from commercially inexpensive d-fructose. The intermediates in the process can serve as versatile precursors for the preparation of l-nucleoside analogues.     

Racemization behavior of l,l-lactide during heating

To control the depolymerization process of poly(l-lactic acid) into l,l-lactide for feedstock recycling, the racemization of l,l-lactide as a post-depolymerization reaction was investigated. In the absence of a catalyst, the conversion to meso-lactide increased with increase in the heating temperature and time at a higher rate than the conversion into oligomers. The resulting high composition of meso-lactide suggests that the direct racemization of l,l-lactide had occurred in addition to the known racemization mechanism that occurs on the oligomer chains. In the presence of MgO, the oligomerization rapidly proceeded to reach an equilibrium state between monomers and oligomers. The equilibrium among l,l-, meso-, and d,d-lactides was found to be a convergent composition ratio l,l-:meso-:d,d-lactides = 1:1.22:0.99 (wt/wt/wt) after 120 min at 300 °C. This composition ratio also indicates that in addition to the known racemization reaction on the oligomer chains, direct racemization among the lactides is also a frequent occurrence.     

Determination of L- and D-enantiomers of methotrexate using amperometric biosensors

In order to determine the enantiopurity of methotrexate (Mtx), seven biosensors were proposed for the assay of l-Mtx and three biosensors for the assay of d-Mtx. The biosensors were designed using physical and chemical immobilization of glutamate oxidase and/or l-amino acid oxidase (l-AAOD) and/or horseradish peroxidase (HRP) for the assay of l-methotherexate, and d-amino acid oxidase (d-AAOD) and HRP for the assay of d-Mtx. Electrode characteristics were obtained and compared for the different carbon paste based biosensors. The linear concentration ranges for the proposed biosensors were in the ranges of fmol l⁻¹ to pmol l⁻¹, magnitude order with limits of detection in the fmol l⁻¹ to nmol l⁻¹ concentration range. All biosensors were successful for the determination of the enantiopurity of Mtx as raw material, and in its pharmaceutical formulations (tablets and injections).     

A d,l-proline catalyzed diastereoselective trimolecular condensation: an approach to the one-pot synthesis of perhydrofuro[3,2-b]pyran-5-ones

d,l-Proline was found to catalyze efficiently the one-pot trimolecular condensation of indoles, a sugar hydroxyaldehyde, and Meldrum’s acid followed by intramolecular cyclization with evolution of carbon dioxide and elimination of acetone to afford 7-(1H-3-indolyl)-2,3-dimethoxyperhydrofuro[3,2-b]pyran-5-ones. The reaction proceeded cleanly at ambient temperature to afford the products in good yields with high diastereoselectivity.     

Photodegradation of biodegradable polyesters: A comprehensive study on poly(l-lactide) and poly(?-caprolactone)

The photodegradation of melt-crystallized and amorphous-made poly(l-lactide) (PLLA-C and PLLA-A, respectively) and cast-crystallized poly(?-caprolactone) (PCL) was investigated comprehensively for the periods up to 200 h using gel permeation chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, tensile testing, and polarization optical microscopy. The photodegradation of PLLA and PCL films proceeds via a bulk erosion mechanism, indicating that UV penetrates the specimens with no significant reduction in its intensity, irrespective of the chemical structure and the crystallinity of biodegradable polyesters. The photodegradability of PCL chains was higher than that of PLLA chains. This strongly suggests that the chemical structure of the two sequential groups adjacent to the ester oxygen rather than the density of ester group is crucial to determine the photodegradability of biodegradable polyesters. Although PLLA chains are photodegradable even in the crystalline regions, their photodegradability is lower than that in the amorphous regions. The significant increase in weight-average molecular weight (M_w)/number-average molecular weight (M_n) was observed for PLLA-A and PCL films, even when the decrease in M_n by UV irradiation was small. Most of the tensile properties of PLLA and PCL films remained unchanged during UV irradiation, while solely the elongation at break of PCL film significantly decreased. This result reflects that among the tensile properties the elongation at break was most sensitive to the change in molecular characteristics of biodegradable polyesters by UV irradiation. The contrast between bright and dark parts of Maltese crosses remained unchanged for the spherulites in PLLA-C and PCL films even after UV irradiation for 200 h. This result exhibits that the cleaved fraction of the tie chains was too low to cause the traceable disorientation of lamellae.     

New building blocks for peptide and depsipeptide synthesis: hexafluoroacetone protected l-homoisoserine and d,l-homoisocysteine derivatives

Efficient syntheses of l-homoisoserine and d,l-homoisocysteine derivatives starting from l-malic and d,l-thiomalic acid using hexafluoroacetone as protecting and activating agent are described. The new compounds are interesting building blocks for the preparation of non-natural peptides and depsipeptides as well as for the construction of new GABA derivatives.     

Transesterification and polymerization reactions of aliphatic polyesters in supercritical CO2 fluids without the presence of a catalyst

The reactions or stability of two crystalline polycaprolactones (PCL) and one amorphous poly(d,l-lactic acid) (dl-PLA) in supercritical CO₂ fluid (scCO₂) at 35 °C and 34.5 MPa without the presence of a catalyst were investigated using gel permeation chromatography (GPC), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The two PCLs having 80,000 and 10,000 in number average molecular weights (), denoted by PCL8 and PCL1, respectively, and dl-PLA having 74,000 in were studied. Carbon 13 NMR data found these polyesters no formation of carbonate linkages after treatments in scCO₂, indicating that the CO₂ did not copolymerize with the PCLs and dl-PLA. GPC data found that the molecular weights of PCL8/PCL1 blends considerably varied with the treatment time while the components of the blends negligibly changed throughout 6 h of treatments in scCO₂. These GPC data suggested that transesterification reactions occurred between PCL8 and PCL1. DSC data found that PCL8 co-crystallized with PCL1 and the treatments enhanced the melting temperatures and crystallinities of the blends. GPC data also found that the molecular weights of dl-PLA and PCL8/dl-PLA blends considerably varied with the treatment time in scCO₂. From the variations of molecular weights, it could be suggested that transesterifications and polymerizations both occurred in the PCL8/dl-PLA blends, with the polymerizations predominating over the transesterifications. This predomination in polymerizations lowered with increasing PCL8 content in the blends. DSC data found that the amorphous dl-PLA could be induced to crystallize by scCO₂, giving a heating endotherm at near 122 °C. Following scCO₂ treatments, enhancements of the melting temperature and crystallinity of PCL8 in the PCL8/dl-PLA blends were found, although these enhancements fluctuated with the treatment time.     

Prevailing mechanisms of the hydrolytic degradation of oligo(d,l-lactide)-grafted dextrans

The predominant mechanism of the hydrolytic degradation of oligo(d,l-lactide)-grafted dextrans in phosphate buffer was followed by quantifying both released dextran and lactic acid from the copolymers. The studied amphiphilic copolymers, with well-defined structure, exhibited various oligo(d,l-lactide) weight fractions (F^OLA) while having a quite high extent of free hydroxyl groups (>90%). Depending on their F^OLA, oligo(d,l-lactide)-grafted dextrans were soluble either in water or in organic solvents (THF, toluene, …) and different prevailing mechanisms of hydrolytic degradation were observed. The copolymer soluble in THF, with longer oligo(d,l-lactide) grafts and higher F^OLA, was found to degrade via a particular mechanism by which the greatest part of dextran was released into buffer medium during the first two weeks of degradation. During the initial stage of degradation, the hydrophilicity of dextran backbone was considered to be the main driving force for the hydrolytic cleavage of the ester linkage between backbone and grafts. Released oligo(d,l-lactide) grafts were found to be degraded via chain-end degradation or random degradation depending on their solubility in buffer medium. In case of water-soluble copolymers with shorter oligo(d,l-lactide) grafts and lower F^OLA, the chain-end degradation was exclusively observed.     

Preparation and characterization of biodegradable poly(l-lactide)/chitosan blends

In order to improve the properties of chitosan and obtain new fully biodegradable materials, blends of poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) and chitosan with different compositions were prepared by precipitating out PLLA/chitosan from acetic acid-DMSO mixtures with acetone. The blends were characterized by Fourier transform infrared analysis (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), ¹³C solid-state NMR and Wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). FTIR and XPS results showed that intermolecular hydrogen bonds existed between two components in the blends, and the hydrogen bonds were mainly between carbonyls of PLLA and amino groups of chitosan. The melting temperatures, cold crystallization temperatures and crystallinity of the PLLA component decreased with the increase in chitosan content. Blending chitosan with PLLA suppressed the crystallization of the PLLA component. Although the crystal structure of PLLA component was not changed, the crystallization of the blends was affected because of the existence of hydrogen bonds between two components, which was proved by WAXD results.     

One-pot inversion of d-mannono-1,4-lactone for the practical synthesis of l-ribose

l-Ribose was synthesized in a concise manner from d-mannono-1,4-lactone using one-pot inversion conditions. Treatment of d-mannono-1,4-lactone with piperidine, followed by mesylation-induced S_N2-type O-alkylation, afforded the desired one-pot inversion in an optimum yield, and the following straightforward transformations provided l-ribose in good yields.     

New organotin(IV) complexes with l-Arginine, Nα-t-Boc-l-Arginine and l-Alanyl-l-Arginine: Synthesis, structural investigations and cytotoxic activity

Novel diorganotin(IV) derivatives of l-Arginine (HArg), N_α-(tert-Butoxycarbonyl)-l-Arginine (Boc-Arg-OH) and l-Ala-l-Arg (H₂Ala-Arg), H₂NC(NH)NH(CH₂)₃CH(NHR′)CO₂H, where R′ = H in HArg, R′ = C(O)OC(CH₃)₃ in Boc-Arg-OH, R′ = H₂NCH(CH₃)CO in H₂Ala-Arg and triorganotin(IV) derivatives of Boc-Arg-OH have been synthesized and structurally characterized. The complexes were investigated by FT-IR and ¹¹⁹Sn Mössbauer in the solid state and by ¹H, ¹³C, ¹¹⁹Sn and ¹H-¹H COSY NMR spectroscopy, in solution. The spectroscopic characterization leading to the proposed molecular structures was accomplished on the basis of these experiments. l-Arginine appears to behave as a chelating ligand through carboxylate and -NH₂ groups in Me₂Sn(Arg)₂, while in N_α-t-Boc-l-Arginine complex, the N_α-protected amino group being exempted from coordination, only the carboxylate groups are effectors of bonding to the organometallic moieties. FT-IR spectra give a clear indication that guanidino groups in all the complexes are not involved in coordination, since ν(CN-H) frequency of the terminal guanidino group is fairly constant and unshifted relative to the free ligand. The biological activity of organotin(IV)-complexes was also investigated by use of human HT29 colorectal carcinoma cells. The cytotoxic activity of the compounds was determined by the MTT quantitative colorimetric assay, capable of detecting viable cells in comparison with that exerted by cisplatin. A marked cytotoxic activity for nearly all complexes, is evident being higher than that exerted by cisplatin, while no significant improvement of activity was observed for Me₂Sn(Arg)₂ and Me₂Sn(Ala-Arg), which was confirmed by IC₅₀ values. Then, we assessed whether the cytotoxicity induced by organotin(IV) complexes was associated with the induction of apoptosis. Light microscopy analysis, performed to study the morphological changes induced in HT29 cells, confirmed the results obtained with MTT test. No significant morphological alterations were observed in HT29 cells after treatment with Me₂Sn(Ala-Arg) and Me₂Sn(l-Arg)₂. Cells treated with ⁿBu₂Sn(Boc-Arg)₂, ⁿBu₂Sn(Ala-Arg), ⁿBu₃Sn(Boc-Arg) and Me₃Sn(Boc-Arg), appeared rounded, isolated and detached from culture substrate, indicating the commitment to apoptotic cell death.     

Selection of synthetic receptors capable of sensing the difference in binding of d-Ala-d-Ala or d-Ala-d-Lac ligands by screening of a combinatorial CTV-based library

Screening of a combinatorial CTV-based artificial, synthetic receptor library 1 {1-13, 1-13, 1-13} for binding of a variety d-Ala-d-Ala and d-Ala-d-Lac containing ligands (6-11) was carried out in phosphate buffer (0.1 N, pH=7.0). After screening and Edman sequencing, synthetic receptors were found containing amino acid sequences, which are either characteristic for binding dye labeled d-Ala-d-Ala or d-Ala-d-Lac containing ligands. For example, receptors capable of binding d-Ala-d-Ala containing ligands 6, 7, 9 and 11 contained—almost in all cases—at least one basic amino acid residue—predominantly Lys—in their arms. This was really a striking difference with the arms of the receptors capable of binding d-Ala-d-Lac containing ligands 8 and 10, which usually contained a significant number of polar amino acids (Gln and Ser), especially in ligand 8, but hardly any basic amino acids. Use of different (fluorescent) dye labels showed that the label has a profound, albeit not decisive, influence on the binding by the receptor. A hit from the screening of the CTV-library with FITC-peptidoglycan (6) was selected for resynthesis and validation.     

Biodegradable poly(l-lactic acid) nanofiber prepared by a carbon dioxide laser supersonic drawing

Biodegradable poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) nanofiber was prepared by a carbon dioxide (CO₂) laser supersonic drawing which was carried out by irradiating the laser on an as-spun fiber in a supersonic jet. The supersonic jet was generated by blowing off air into a vacuum chamber from a fiber supplying orifice. The flow velocity from the orifice can be estimated by applying Graham’s theorem from the pressure difference between the atmospheric pressure and the pressure of the vacuum chamber. The fastest flow velocity estimated was 396 m s⁻¹ when the chamber pressure was 6 kPa. The PLLA nanofiber having an average diameter of 0.132 μm was obtained when the supersonic drawing was carried out by irradiating the laser at 177 W cm⁻² on the as-spun fiber supplied at 0.1 m min⁻¹ in the vacuum chamber at 6 kPa. The obtained nanofiber had a draw ratio of about 323,000 and a degree of crystallinity of 45%, and its diameter uniformity was high. The CO₂ laser supersonic drawing was a new route for preparation of various nanofibers without using any solvent.     

Improved synthesis of 6-amino-6-deoxy-d-galactono-1,6-lactam and d-mannono-1,6-lactam from corresponding unprotected d-hexono-1,4-lactones

Regioselective bromination of unprotected d-galactono-1,4-lactone and d-mannono-1,4-lactone with PPh₃/CBr₄ led to 6-bromo-6-deoxy derivatives. These intermediates were treated with LiN₃ and hydrogenated to give 6-amino-6-deoxy-d-galactono-1,6-lactam (8) and 6-amino-6-deoxy-d-mannono-1,6-lactam (13) in 74 and 67% overall yield, respectively.