Synthesis and characterization of diselenide linked poly(ethylene glycol) nanogel as multi-responsive drug carrier

Abstract

Diselenide containing polymeric-nanoparticles considered as stimuli-responsive due to their low bond energy of SeSe linkage with stimuli-sensitive properties SeSe bond. Recently, diselenide bond containing amphiphilic block copolymers based nanoparticles become emerging materials as drug carrier. In this work, biocompatible, redox and gamma (γ)-ray sensitive diselenide-linked polymeric-nanogel (PEGSeSe)n was developed from alpha, omega-Bis-Bromo poly(ethylene glycol) (Br-PEG-Br) for anticancer drug carrier. A stimuli-responsive anti-cancer drug, doxorubicin (Dox) releasing of the nanogel was evaluated using an ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer. The drug loading efficiency of the nanogel was found to be 32.7%. Redox-stimuli-drug release study was conducted in the presence of 0.1% (w/w) hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and 1 mg/mL of glutathione (GSH) in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) pH of 7.4 at 37 °C, as well as 5 Gy γ-ray was applied for understand their radiation responsive release of Dox. The drug release profiles indicated that fast release were observed during the initial few hours and maximum release 54% were shown after 48 h and 52.5% after 24 h in the presence of GSH and H2O2 respectively, and gradually drug release were decreased as the time increases. Interestingly, γ-ray irradiation drug release also showed that maximum of 46% the drug released within 12 h after irradiation. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that the synthesized nanogel could be a promising redox and radiation-sensitive nanocarrier biomaterial for high loading amount of anticancer drug and could be used for anticancer drugs delivery in redox environment and a low dose of γ-ray radiation.