Affiliation:
1. Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials Polish Academy of Sciences Zabrze Poland
2. Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute National Hellenic Research Foundation Athens Greece
Abstract
AbstractThree star‐like carriers with poly(hydroxy propyl methacrylate) (PHPMA) cores and poly(oligoethylene glycol methacrylate) (POEGMA) arms as nanocarriers were utilized for the encapsulation of rhodamine B, resveratrol, and curcumin. These drugs differ in hydrophobicity and therapeutic effects. The carriers had high encapsulation and loading efficiency (>95% and 10 wt%, respectively) and formed hydrogen bonds with the drugs. They were spherical in phosphate buffer saline and formed aggregates of various sizes (11–116 nm) depending on the star composition and the drug type. The carriers were stable for 2 months, but released different amounts of drugs afterwards, except for curcumin, which stayed entrapped. The curcumin‐loaded carriers also generated reactive oxygen species. These findings demonstrate the versatility of PHPMA/POEGMA stars as nanocarriers for diverse applications in nanomedicine.