From reverse worms to reverse vesicles formed by mixed zwitterionic and non-ionic surfactants in cyclohexane

This study aims to investigate the effects of different non-ionic surfactants on physicochemical properties of ART niosomes. ART is a natural compound that is used as an antimalarial and chemotherapy agent in medicine. ART has low bioavailability, stability and solubility. In order to solve these problems and enhancing the efficiency of the drug, nanotechnology was used. In the present study, several niosomal formulations of ART prepared using different molar ratios of Span 60 : Tween 60 : PEG-600: ART in PBS. These three formulations were FI (1:1:0.5:0.5), FII (2:1:0.5:0.5) and FIII (1:2:0.5:0.5), respectively. The encapsulation efficiency was measured by HPLC and the drug release was evaluated by dialysis method. The cytotoxicity test was determined by MTT assay. The size, zeta potential and polydispersity index of the vesicles was measured by Zeta Sizer. Stability study was performed within two months. The MTT assay results showed that cytotoxicity effect of these formulations on MCF-7 cell line is better than C6 cell line and the FIII had the best results for both of them. The entrapment efficiencies of the formulations I, II and III were obtained 82.2±1.88%, 75.5±0.92% and 95.5±1.23%, respectively. The results of size, zeta potential and polydispersity index indicated that the size of the vesicles is below 200 nm, their surface charge is about -35 mV and they were monodisperse. Stability and release study indicated that the formulation III has the best stability and release pattern. Therefore, the use of PEGylated niosomal ART can effectively improve its therapeutic index, stability and solubility.

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Probing the Dynamic Self-Assembly Behaviour of Photoswitchable Wormlike Micelles in Real Time

10.26434/chemrxiv.7098695 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Elaine A. Kelly ◽

Judith E. Houston ◽

Rachel Evans

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Absorption Spectroscopy ◽

Self Assembly ◽

Uv Light ◽

Wormlike Micelles ◽

Tetraethylene Glycol ◽

Light Illumination ◽

First Time ◽

Dependent Processes

Understanding the dynamic self-assembly behaviour of azobenzene photosurfactants (AzoPS) is crucial to advance their use in controlled release applications such asdrug delivery and micellar catalysis. Currently, their behaviour in the equilibrium cis-and trans-photostationary states is more widely understood than during the photoisomerisation process itself. Here, we investigate the time-dependent self-assembly of the different photoisomers of a model neutral AzoPS, <a>tetraethylene glycol mono(4′,4-octyloxy,octyl-azobenzene) </a>(C8AzoOC8E4) using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). We show that the incorporation of in-situUV-Vis absorption spectroscopy with SANS allows the scattering profile, and hence micelle shape, to be correlated with the extent of photoisomerisation in real-time. It was observed that C8AzoOC8E4could switch between wormlike micelles (transnative state) and fractal aggregates (under UV light), with changes in the self-assembled structure arising concurrently with changes in the absorption spectrum. Wormlike micelles could be recovered within 60 seconds of blue light illumination. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time the degree of AzoPS photoisomerisation has been tracked in-situthrough combined UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy-SANS measurements. This technique could be widely used to gain mechanistic and kinetic insights into light-dependent processes that are reliant on self-assembly.

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