Non-Ionic Surfactant Effects on Innate Pluronic 188 Behavior: Interactions, and Physicochemical and Biocompatibility Studies

Abstract

The aim of this research was to prepare novel block copolymer-surfactant hybrid nanosystems using the triblock copolymer Pluronic 188, along with surfactants of different hydrophilic to lipophilic balance (HLB ratio—which indicates the degree to which a surfactant is hydrophilic or hydrophobic) and thermotropic behavior. The surfactants used were of non-ionic nature, of which Tween 80® and Brij 58® were more hydrophilic, while Span 40® and Span 60® were more hydrophobic. Each surfactant has unique innate thermal properties and an affinity towards Pluronic 188. The nanosystems were formulated through mixing the pluronic with the surfactants at three different ratios, namely 90:10, 80:20, and 50:50, using the thin-film hydration technique and keeping the pluronic concentration constant. The physicochemical characteristics of the prepared nanosystems were evaluated using various light scattering techniques, while their thermotropic behavior was characterized via microDSC and high-resolution ultrasound spectroscopy. Microenvironmental parameters were attained through the use of fluorescence spectroscopy, while the cytotoxicity of the nanocarriers was studied in vitro. The results indicate that the combination of Pluronic 188 with the above surfactants was able to produce hybrid homogeneous nanoparticle populations of adequately small diameters. The different surfactants had a clear effect on physicochemical parameters such as the size, hydrodynamic diameter, and polydispersity index of the final formulation. The mixing of surfactants with the pluronic clearly changed its thermotropic behavior and thermal transition temperature (Tm) and highlighted the specific interactions that occurred between the different materials, as well as the effect of increasing the surfactant concentration on inherent polymer characteristics and behavior. The formulated nanosystems were found to be mostly of minimal toxicity. The obtained results demonstrate that the thin-film hydration method can be used for the formulation of pluronic-surfactant hybrid nanoparticles, which in turn exhibit favorable characteristics in terms of their possible use in drug delivery applications. This investigation can be used as a road map for the selection of an appropriate nanosystem as a novel vehicle for drug delivery.

Fabricating Polymer/Surfactant/Cyclodextrin Hybrid Particles for Possible Nose-to-Brain Delivery of Ropinirole Hydrochloride: In Vitro and Ex Vivo Evaluation

“…However, despite the decrease in average particle size, our analysis uncovered significant heterogeneity among the particles, which is evident from the broad curves observed in Figure S1 (Supplementary Materials). Similar findings regarding the dispersing impact of the surfactant (Tw80) were previously documented by Kontogiannis et al [72]. Their investigation focused on the alterations in the particle size of poloxamer 188 following the addition of Tw80.…”

Deciphering the Lipid-Random Copolymer Interactions and Encoding Their Properties to Design a Hybrid System

“…MicroDSC is a well-established and highly sensitive method to characterize and even compare liposomal or hybrid colloidal dispersionsa valuable tool for generic nanomedicine/nanosimilars’ comparison. , HR-US is also a powerful technique to study the thermal properties of biomaterials via monitoring the variation of ultrasound parameters over temperature. Namely, during the temperature-induced transition from gel to liquid state of lipids, there is also an alteration in the velocity and intensity of the propagation of the ultrasound waves through the sample. ,, Although both techniques have extensively been used for the biophysical characterization of lipid and hybrid vesicles, to the best of our knowledge, they have never been applied for the investigation of the calorimetric features of hybrid colloidal dispersions composed of random copolymers and lipids. Their biophysical characteristics are summarized in Table , while mDSC traces related to heating scans as well as HR-US plots are illustrated in Figures and , respectively.…”

“…It is worth mentioning, though, that there is a decreasing trend for scattered intensity by increasing the % weight P(OEGMA-co-LMA)-1 in the hybrid nanoparticles (Table S1 and Figure 2b), which overall is proportional to the mass of the colloidal systems. 34,35 There is not an equivalent pattern for the size, though. Moreover, the systems tend to be rather polydisperse, showing PDI values between 0.33 and 0.49 from DLS, accompanied by an R h from 170 to 370 nm.…”

Approaches to Nanoparticle Labeling: A Review of Fluorescent, Radiological, and Metallic Techniques

“…99 Among them, copper was the least oxophilic and had weaker retention owing to the affinity each isotope has for the oxygen-rich matrix. 100 Chen et al synthesized uniform MSN with an average particle diameter of approximately 150 nm using the affinity between strong Lewis acids and strong Lewis bases for labeling the particles with 89 Zr and 45 Ti. 101 However, when using chemical adsorption methods, consideration should be given to whether changes in particle surface properties will affect their properties.…”

“…The phospholipid layer, such as a micelle or liposome, also provides a biocompatible surface for the particles, making them suitable for use in biological systems. The encapsulation process can be achieved through various methods, including thin-film hydration, reverse-phase evaporation, and microemulsion techniques. − Howes et al synthesized magnetic-fluorescent semiconductor polymer nanospheres (MF-SPNs) by coencapsulating hydrophobic conjugated polymers and iron oxide nanoparticles in phospholipid micelles. They successfully demonstrated the uptake behavior of MF-SPNs by SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells through bright and stable fluorescence .…”