Amphiphile-drug interplay: Enhanced solubility and drug-tailored self-assembly for delivery applications
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: During the last three decades, the design of refined nanosized drug delivery systems employed peculiar temperature-responsive synthetic copolymers, Pluronics, capable to mimic biological systems. Biocompatibility and biodegradability, along with the possibility of opportunely tailoring the desired features of these macromolecules, can be exploited to develop carriers able to improve the solubility and the bioavailability of hydrophobic drugs. As passive agents, Pluronics have a high drug loading capacity in water and low immunogenicity, but they can also play a more active role by reacting to temperature changes. Within specific ranges of concentration, Pluronic aqueous solutions can be injected in liquid form and become gel-like at body temperature, allowing to modulate the drug release. The presence of additives can modify the thermal response of Pluronic molecules in water, possibly sensitizing the system to other stimuli (e.g., pH). In this work, the addition of hydrophobic Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) – ibuprofen (IBU), ibuprofen sodium salt (IBUNa), diclofenac potassium (DK) – in a 45 wt% Pluronic F68 aqueous solution was investigated by rheology. Pluronic F68 significantly increased the solubility of the drug in water. The thermo-reversible, self-assembling process was followed and phase transitions were identified through oscillatory and steady measurements at different drug concentrations and temperatures. The effect of ionic strength and pH was also discussed by varying the drug type and its concentration. Lastly, empirical phase diagrams for the drug/Pluronic aqueous solutions were built.
Institution: University of Naples Federico II
Language: English
Subfield: Organic Chemistry
Field: Chemistry
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,810
Award: G5518912060
OpenAlex ID: W7125474493