Studies of submillimeter gels composed of covalently cross-linked poly(acrylic acid)-g-poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (Pluronic-PAA) networks are reviewed in light of potential applications of the microgels as drug carriers in oral delivery. The microgels are capable of volumetric transitions in response to environmental stimulae such as pH and temperature. It is shown that the type of Pluronic used in the microgel synthesis changes the structure of the resulting microgels, with the more hydrophobic Pluronic imparting porosity. Microgels based on Pluronic L92 (L92-PAA-EGDMA) possess higher ion-exchange capacity than microgels based on Pluronic F127 (F127-PAA-EGDMA), albeit the former are more hydrophobic. Analogously, more hydrophobic but heterogeneous L92-PAA-EGDMA exhibit superior capacity for equilibrium loading of hydrophobic drugs such as taxol, camptothecin and steroid hormones, as well as higher capacity for weakly basic drugs such as doxorubicin, mitomycin C, and mitoxantrone. / Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA)

In this diploma thesis were studied solubilization properties of polysaccharides by using hydrophobic solutes (Sudan Orange G, Sudan Red G, (±)-alpha-Tocopherol, Pyrene, Perylene, Nile red), which were represented by alkyl derivates of hyaluronan. At first, a behaviour of individual hydrophobic solutes was investigated in variously polar solvents (Methanol, 1 Propanol, Chloroforme, Cyklohexane, n Heptane) and in the environment of varying ionic strength (water, 0.1 M and 0.4 M NaCl). Afterwards, solubilization properties of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate model solubilizated the hydrophobic solutes into a core of micelles was examinate. We were interested in the solubilization capacity as the mol of solubilized molecules per mol micelles of surfactant corresponding with a state of micelles saturation. In the case of the solubilization of (±)-alpha-Tocopherol into the core of micelles, it was not possible to determine the solubilization capacity. So we changed the determination of universally solubilization power. The solubilization power is defined as mol of molecules solubilized per mol surfactant relative to the quantity solubilizate at the micelles saturation. Model system of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate as a simple surfactant carrying a negative charge as the alkyl derivates of hyaluronan was selected bacause of its characteristics.The surfactant forms unimolar micelles and its critical micelle concentrations and aggregation numbers are tabelated for the investigated microenvironment. The main aim of the study was investigating of hydrophobic domains of alkyl derivates of hyaluronan as free places for incorporation hydropbobic solutes in the microenvironment of varying ionic strength. The critical aggregation concentrations were determined by the Pyrene 1:3 ratio method. For the research of micropolarity of alkyl derivates hyaluronan’s domains were selected two concentrations of derivates for the next research of solubilization experiments - the first concentration near the critical aggregation concentration and the second concentration above it. The effect of concentration of Pyrene on a core polarity of derivates was investigated. We discovered the influence of the concentration and the other we found a stationary area of the concentration. In the end we investigated the influence of preparation of solutions of derivates of hyaluronan on the core polarity by the concentration of pyrene which corresponds to the stationary area. The study of solubilization properties of alkyl derivates of hyaluronan is not a simple case as we assumed. When we measured spectra of the absorbance, higher concentration of derivates of hyaluronan belittle absorbance of solubilizates. At the experiment of solubilization with Sudan Red G we found out that Sudan Red G is not able to solubilizate into the hydrophobic core of micelles of hyaluronan’s derivates because of lipophilic or steric effects. We had to change Perylene as a new solubilizate. From the measured emission spectra we found saturation micelles. We can express the solubilization power of hyaluronan’s derivates for the concentration of Perylene. The main aim of the diploma thesis was to determine optimal way of the preparation of hyaluronan’s derivates solutions with required degree of solubilization.