The sorption and release of tyrosol and caffeic acid, two biophenolic antioxidants with known health benefits, in different insoluble cyclodextrin polymers have been studied. Cyclodextrin polymers were synthesized by cross-linking, beta-cyclodextrin or 50:50 w/w nominal mixtures of alpha- and beta-cyclodextrins using either epichlorohydrin (EP) or toluene-2,4-diisocyanate (TDI) as cross-linking agents. An analogous sucrose polymer was prepared using EP as cross-linking reagent. Freundlich isotherms and isosteric heats of sorption for tyrosol and caffeic acid in the insoluble beta-cyclodextrin polymer cross-linked with epichlorohydrin at 50 degrees C were obtained and discussed. Finally, the release of tyrosol and caffeic acid has been studied from loaded polymer disks, the microstructures of which were characterized by mercury intrusion porosimetry. Caffeic acid shows greater affinity than tyrosol for the polymeric matrices as it presents a higher sorption and a lower and slower release. However, tyrosol has a higher isosteric heat of sorption for low coverages.

Cyclodextrin (CD) hydrogels were synthesized by a crosslinking reaction with the same cyclodextrin/epichlorohydrin mole ratio (1/11) using alphaCD, ßCD, gammaCD, and 50:50 mixtures of alpha/ßCD and ß/gammaCD. In order to investigate the sorption capacity of these hydrogels to different solutes, five model molecules have been selected: phenol, 3-nitrophenol, 4-nitrophenol, 1-naphthol, and the anti-inflammatory drug diflunisal. The amounts sorbed have been related to the different affinities of the solutes. 1-naphthol shows the highest affinity for these polymers, especially in the case of sorbents containing ßCD. The sorption is considerably poorer for phenol than for its nitro derivatives. The two structural isomers 3- and 4-nitrophenol show significant differences in their affinities towards alphaCD, ßCD and alpha/ßCD. Finally, in the case of diflunisal, a bulkier model molecule, remarkable differences were found on the sorption behaviour by polymers whose cyclodextrins have a similar affinity for this solute (ßCD, gammaCD, and ß/gammaCD).

Audiovisual media are nowadays suitable tools for illustrating the development of the lectures given by university lecturers. The student is fluent in these media, and the use of these media is an excellent complement for a good understanding of topic. Particularly in experimental studies, such as Chemistry, the advantages of using these Materials are clear, both in terms of understanding the subjects and in terms of bringing the student closer to more practical aspects related to the professional practice to which they will devote themselves when they finish their studies. This paper evaluates the results of applying new technologies to the teaching of chemistry to students at the University of Navarra. The aim is to identify elements typical of the professional practice of chemists and to relate the theoretical and practical contents of the subjects to it, thus achieving a better knowledge of the subject object of study. The students' perception has certainly been positive in terms of an increased interest in the subjects involved and an improvement in their understanding of them.

Gels obtained by complexation of octablock star polyethylene oxide/polypropylene oxide copolymers ( Tetronic 90 R4) with alpha-cyclodextrin (alpha- CD) were evaluated as matrices for drug release. Both molecules are biocompatible so they can be potentially applied to drug delivery systems. Two different types of matrices of Tetronic 90 R4 and alpha-CD were evaluated: gels and tablets. These gels are capable to gelifying in situ and show sustained erosion kinetics in aqueous average. Tablets were prepared by freeze-drying and comprising the gels. Using these two different matrices, the release of two model molecules, L-tryptophan (Trp), and a protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA), was evaluated. The release profiles of these molecules from gels and tablets prove that they are suitable for sustained delivery. Mathematical models were applied to the release curves from tablets to elucidate the drug delivery mechanism. Good correlations were found for the fittings of the release curves to different equations. The results point that the release of Trp from different tablets is always governed by Fickian diffusion, whereas the release of BSA is governed by a combination of diffusion and tablet erosion.

Different types of gels were prepared by combining poloxamines (Tetronic), i.e. poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(propylene oxide) (PEO/PPO) octablock star copolymers, and cyclodextrins (CD). Two different poloxamines with the same molecular weight (ca. 7000) but different molecular architectures were used. For each of their four diblock arms, direct Tetronic 904 presents PEO outer blocks while in reverse Tetronic 90R4 the hydrophilic PEO blocks are the inner ones. These gels were prepared by combining ¿-CD and poloxamine aqueous solutions. The physicochemical properties of these systems depend on several factors such as the structure of the block copolymers and the Tetronic/¿-CD ratio. These gels were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), viscometry and X-ray diffraction measurements. The 90R4 gels present a consistency that makes them suitable for sustained drug delivery. The resulting gels were easily eroded: these complexes were dismantled when placed in a large amount of water, so controlled release of entrapped large molecules such as proteins (Bovine Serum Albumin, BSA) is feasible and can be tuned by varying the copolymer/CD ratio.

All mammals lose their ability to produce lactase (ß-galactosidase), the enzyme that cleaves lactose into galactose and glucose, after weaning. The prevalence of lactase deficiency (LD) spans from 2 to 15% among northern Europeans, to nearly 100% among Asians. Following lactose consumption, people with LD often experience gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, bowel distension, cramps and flatulence, or even systemic problems such as headache, loss of concentration and muscle pain. These symptoms vary depending on the amount of lactose ingested, type of food and degree of intolerance. Although those affected can avoid the uptake of dairy products, in doing so, they lose a readily available source of calcium and protein. In this work, gels obtained by complexation of Tetronic 90R4 with ¿-cyclodextrin loaded with ß-galactosidase are proposed as a way to administer the enzyme immediately before or with the lactose-containing meal. Both molecules are biocompatible, can form gels in situ, and show sustained erosion kinetics in aqueous average. The complex was characterised by FTIR that evidenced an inclusion complex between the polyethylene oxide block and ¿-cyclodextrin. The release profiles of ß-galactosidase from two different matrices (gels and tablets) of the in situ hydrogels have been obtained. The influence of the percentage of Tetronic in average of different pH was evaluated. No differences were observed regarding the release rate from the gel matrices at pH 6 (t50 = 105 min). However, in the case of the tablets, the kinetics were faster and they released a greater amount of 90R4 (25%, t50 = 40¿50 min). Also, the amount of enzyme released was higher for mixtures with 25% Tetronic. Using suitable mathematical models, the corresponding kinetic parameters have been calculated. In all cases, the release data fit quite well to the Peppas¿Sahlin model equation, indicating that the release of ß-galactosidase is governed by a combination of diffusion and erosion processes. It has been observed that the diffusion mechanism prevails over erosion during the first 50 minutes, followed by continued release of the enzyme due to the disintegration of the matrix.

Tyrosol (TY), 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)phenol, is an olive oil biophenol with antioxidant activity and positive effects on human health. This study has investigated the interactions of TY with cyclodextrins (CD) and a CD polymer. Complexation of TY with beta-CD, hydroxypropyl-beta-CD (HP-beta-CD), and methyl-beta-CD (Me-beta-CD) has been evaluated both in aqueous solution and in the solid state. The techniques employed in solution to determine the apparent stability constants of the respective complexes were fluorescence and UV-visible spectroscopies. Complexation with beta-CD and its derivatives involved an increase of both the UV absorbance and the intrinsic fluorescence of TY; a bathochromic shift of the UV spectrum was detected as well. The apparent stability constants obtained with native beta-CD, Me-beta-CD and HP-beta-CD presented similar values. Complexes in the solid state were obtained by coevaporation and kneading. They were characterised by X-ray diffraction analysis and differential thermal analysis. The interaction of TY with beta-CD led to a crystalline complex; the same diffraction pattern was obtained by coevaporation and kneading. The complexes obtained with methyl- and HP-beta-CD were amorphous irrespective of the preparation method. In addition, the retention of TY in an insoluble polymer of CD crosslinked with epichlorohydrin has been quantified. In approximately 20 min, 1 mg of TY per gram of polymer was retained.

Hydrogel networks of ¿, ß or ¿-cyclodextrin (CD) and mixtures of ¿/ß or ß/¿ CDs have been obtained using epichlorohydrin (EP) as a crosslinking agent. Discs of the resulting polymers were evaluated as drug carriers for controlled release using the anti-inflammatory naproxen (NAP) as a model drug. ßCD polymer (ßCDP) has shown the highest amount of drug loaded and the lowest one corresponds to the polymer containing CD, in agreement with the affinities of NAP for the corresponding cyclodextrins. In addition, in vitro drug release kinetics assays from the loaded discs have been carried out. The different release profiles at simulated physiological conditions of pH and temperature have been correctly defined, identifying in each case the release mechanisms. Using suitable mathematical models, the apparent diffusional coefficients and the corresponding kinetic parameters have been calculated. It can be inferred that a simple Fickian diffusion mechanism occurs, except for the mixed polymers at pH 1.2 (anomalous transport) and in the case CDP at pH 7.0 (burst phenomenon). Furthermore, the diffusion and relaxation contributions have been determined for the mixed polymers in order to achieve progress in the design of new polymer matrices according to the structure of the selected drugs.

The phase behavior of two types of poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(propylene oxide) (PEO/PPO) copolymers in aqueous solutions was studied by light scattering, viscometry, and infrared spectroscopy. Both the reverse poloxamer (Pluronic 10R5) and the star type poloxamine (Tetronic 90R4) have practically the same PEO/PPO ratio with their hydrophobic blocks (PPO) located in the outer part. The temperature-composition phase diagrams show that both 10R5 and 90R4 tend to form aggregates in water. Up to four different phases can be detected in the case of Tetronic 90R4 for each temperature: unimers, random networks, micellar networks, and macrophase separation. Viscometric and infrared measurements complemented the results obtained by light scattering and visual inspection.

BACKGROUND: Because of the lower fluidization energy required and the protection against shock loading and starvation due to their sorption capacity, light adsorbents such as hydrogels could be used as biofilm carrier average in fluidized bed bioreactors for wastewater processing. This work explores the feasibility of a cyclodextrin hydrogel as biomass support to degrade phenol under extremely low-nitrogen availability and under nitrogen amendments. RESULTS: Phenol removal capacity was low (mean 0.589 kg m(-3) day(-1)) under extreme nitrogen-limited conditions (mean C : N ratio 3830). A pulsed nitrogen amendment increased the elimination capacity (up to 1.97 kg m(-3) day-1) controlling the biofilm thickness. An 8-h nitrogen pulse had a highly efficient long-term effect removing 93.5 mg-C mg(-1)-N in 300 h. The continuous nitrogen amendment enhanced the elimination capacity (up to 5.84 kg m(-3) day-1) although rapidly increasing the biomass growth. The inhibiting phenol concentration was smaller during the nitrogen-limited period (below 100 mg L-1) than in the nitrogen-amendment periods (140 mg L-1). Low liquid velocities were needed to fluidize the bioparticles (less than 3.1 mm s(-1)) during the entire experimentation. CONCLUSION: This work shows that a fluidized-bed bioreactor with mixed culture on cyclodextrin-based particles can be operated for long periods at extreme nitrogen limitation, and that a limited nitrogen supply with periodic pulsed amendments would be adequate for controlling the biofilm thickness.

A series of supramolecular aggregates were prepared using a poly(propylene oxide) poly(ethylene oxide) poly(propylene oxide) (PPO-PEO-PPO) block copolymer and beta- or alpha-cyclodextrins (CD). The combination of beta-CD and the copolymer yields inclusion complexes (IC) with polypseudorotaxane structures. These are formed by complexation of the PPO blocks with beta-CD molecules producing a powder precipitate with a certain crystallinity degree that can be evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). In contrast, when combining alpha-CD with the block copolymer, the observed effect is an increase in the viscosity of the mixtures, yielding fluid gels. Two cooperative effects come into play: the complexation of PEO blocks with alpha-CD and the hydrophobic interactions between PPO blocks in aqueous average. These two combined interactions lead to the formation of a macromolecular network. The resulting fluid gels were characterized using different techniques such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), viscometry, and XRD measurements.

beta-cyclodextrins (beta CD) are cyclic oligosaccharides which have been widely employed for pharmaceutical applications. Discs of insoluble polymers were synthesized by crosslinking beta-cyclodextrins with the reagent epichlorohydrin. In this work, the possibility of employing a polymer containing 60 +/- 3% beta CD for drug delivery of two antiinflammatory (naproxen and nabumetone) and two antifungal drugs (naftifine and terbinafine) has been investigated. The interaction of Naproxen with the polymers was evidenced by X-ray diffractometry, FTIR spectroscopy and differential thermal analysis. Drug release kinetics were carried out at physiological conditions of pH and temperature, and kinetic and diffusion constants were calculated by fitting 60% of the release profile according to the Korsmeyer-Peppas equation. Also, diffusion coefficients were calculated according to the simplified Higuchi model. The drug release followed a simple Fickian diffusion mechanism for all the model drugs. This study suggests that these hydrogel matrices are potentially suitable as sustained release systems.

Complexation of ebastine (EB) with hydroxypropyl and methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-beta-CD and Me-beta-CD) was studied in aqueous solutions and in the solid state. The formation of inclusion complexes in aqueous solutions was analysed by the solubility method. The assays were designed using low CD concentrations compared with the solubility of these derivatives in order to avoid non-inclusion phenomena and to obtain a linear increase in EB solubility as a function of CD concentration. The values of complexation efficiency for HP-beta-CD and Me-beta-CD were 1.9 x 10(-2) and 2.1 x 10(-2), respectively. It seems that the non polar character of the methyl moiety slightly favoured complexation. In relation to solid state complexation, 1: 1 EB: CD systems were prepared by kneading, and by heating a drug-CD mixture at 90 degrees C. They were analysed using X ray diffraction analysis by comparison with their respective physical mixtures. A complex with a characteristic diffraction pattern similar to that of the channel structure of beta-CD was formed with Me-beta-CD in 1: 1 melted and 1: 2 EB: CD kneaded systems. Complexation with HP-beta-CD was not clearly evidenced because only a slight reduction of drug crystallinity was detected. Finally, the loading of EB in two beta-CD polymers cross-linked with epichlorohydrin yielded 7.3 and 7.7 mg of EB/g polymer respectively.

beta-cyclodextrin insoluble polymers (beta CDP), a type of hydrogels with a high swelling capacity, can be obtained by crosslinking beta-cyclodextrin (beta CD) with epichlorohydrin. Terbinafine (TB) is an oral and topical antifungal drug that can be housed into the cavity of beta-cyclodextrin, so it seems probable that the drug could interact with the insoluble beta CDP. Different organic molecules can be sorbed on the polymer network and also included within the beta CD cavities, so these hydrogels have potential applications in the pharmaceutical field as drug carriers. In this work, the sorption of TB on beta CDP and the optimal conditions to load the polymer with the drug were studied. Sorption kinetics and Freundlich isotherms of TB on beta CDP at 25A degrees C were obtained and the influence of several parameters on the sorption process of TB was investigated. It was found that a high initial concentration of drug, high TB:beta-CD molar ratios and low ionic strengths were the most favourable conditions. No significant influence of temperature was observed. Moreover, the sorption kinetic profile obtained for terbinafine was compared to that of naftifine, another antifungal agent of similar structure. Terbinafine presented higher affinity for the polymer, according to the higher stability constant of the drug-beta CD inclusion complex. In relation to the release studies from the loaded polymer, 0.1 M HCl was the most favourable medium to allow the release of the drug.

A commercially available chitosan with a degree of deacetylation (DD) of 85% and a molecular weight (Mw) of 400 kDa was modified by acetylation with acetic anhydride to obtain a chitosan with a DD of 75%. Both polysaccharides were used to prepare DNA-chitosan nanoparticles by charge interactions with pDNA (coacervation process). Both resulting nanoparticles showed an almost total DNA loading efficiency (96%) and displayed similar physico-chemical properties with a size of similar to 200 nm and a zeta potential close to +20 mV. In order to study the effect of the DD on the properties of DNA-chitosan nanoparticles as gene delivery systems, the hydrodynamics-based procedure was used. The transgene expression was observed using either the green fluorescent protein (GFP) or the luciferase (Luc) as reporter genes. After the hydrodynamic injection, the DNA-chitosan nanoparticles were accumulated in the liver, where the transgene expression was mostly localized. Interestingly, the decrease of the DD affected the transgene expression, improving the initial burst effect and accelerating the DNA release. Both combined effects led to an increase in the transgene expression levels. In addition, the emitted bioluminescence could be detected over 105 days for all the formulations injected. The calculation of the kinetic parameters (C(max), AUC, Ke, t(1/2) Ke and MET) gave some interesting information regarding the abilities to control the DNA release of the two DNA-chitosan formulations tested and allowed narrower comparisons.