Synthesis and self-assembly of octenyl succinic anhydride modified short glucan chains based amphiphilic biopolymer: Micelles, ultrasmall micelles, vesicles, and lutein encapsulation/release

The amphiphilic polymers are widely used to prepare nanocarriers by self-assembly with crucial implications for biomedical, biotechnological, and food applications. An amphiphilic polymer of octenyl succinic anhydride modified short glucan chains (OSA-SGC) with various degrees of substitution (DS) were first synthesized in this work. OSA-SGC polymer spontaneously formed vesicles, micelles, and ultrasmall micelles in a phosphate buffer solution. The properties of self-assembled nanoparticles were studied using fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The critical aggregation concentrations (CAC) of OSA-SGC polymer were in the range of 0.0316-0.1260 mg/mL and decreased with increasing DS. Lutein, a hydrophobic functional ingredients, was incorporated into the OSA-SGC micelles and vesicles. Lutein-loaded nanoparticles exhibited high encapsulation efficiency (similar to 85%) and loading content (similar to 8%). Thus, the study suggested that self aggregated nanoparticles of OSA-SGC polymer could have potential applications in the health food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical fields because they can aid in the delivery of hydrophobic functional ingredients or drugs. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.