Biocompatibility, drug release, and anti‐tumor effect of pH ‐sensitive micelles prepared from poly(2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline)‐poly( DL ‐lactide) block copolymers

Various ratios PEOz-PDLLA diblock copolymers were synthesized through ring-opening polymerization of DL-lactide initiated by monohydroxyl terminated poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (PEOz-OH). The chemical composition and molar mass the resulting determined using NMR GPC. Spherical micelles with a diameter from 104 to 136 nm obtained via self-assembly in water, as evidenced TEM DLS. CMC was well below 0.01 mg/mL, showed decreasing trend increase PDLLA block length. A two-step procedure applied encapsulate curcumin taken hydrophobic model drug. Copolymers longer exhibit enhanced drug loading capacity. In vitro release carried out phosphate buffered saline (PBS) at physiological slightly acidic pH values. pH-sensitive biphasic behavior detected an initial burst followed slower prolonged release. Lower or shorter length leads higher rate because faster degradation micelles. Hemo- cytocompatibility studies illustrated excellent biocompatibility MTT assay significant cytotoxicity curcumin-loaded against A549 lung cancer cells. Therefore, it can be inferred that outstanding biocompatibility, controllable performance, present good potential nano-carrier drugs.