Nanochemistry and biotechnology

Compositions of -tocopheryl acetate with micellar nanocarriers and their possible using as biologically active additives  
Permyakova N.M.1, Zheltonozhskaya T.B.1, Karpovsky V.V.2, Pogulyai R.2, Maksin V.V.2, Partsevskaya S.V.3, Grishchenko V.V.3, Klymchuk D.O.4, Klepko V.V.1
1 Polymer Physics Department, Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry of the NAS of Ukraine. 48 Kharkivske Shosse, Kyiv-02160, Ukraine. 
E-mail: permyakova@ukr.net 
2 National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, 17 Heroyiv Oborony St., Kyiv-03041, Ukraine
3 Faculty of Chemistry, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, 60 Volodimirska St., Kyiv-01033, Ukraine 
4 Institute of Botany of the NAS of Ukraine, 2 Tereshchenkovska St., 01601 Kyiv, Ukraine.

Double hydrophilic diblock copolymers (DBCs) based on asymmetric chemically complementary methoxypolyethylene oxide and polyacrylic acid (MOPEO-b-PAAc) form special micellar structures with a complex “core” in aqueous solutions in the рН range <5. These micelles proved to be very effective, non-toxic, biocompatible and biodegradable nanocarriers for the delivery of a poorly soluble analogue of vitamin E, -tocopheryl acetate (-TOCA), in organisms of white mice and rabbits. 
In this work, the mechanisms of formation/release and stability in aqueous, aqueous/ethanol and aqueous/ethanol/salt solutions of in situ formed -TOCA compositions with DBC micelles having different lengths of PAAc “corona” were studied using UV-Vis spectroscopy, static light scattering, dialysis and TEM. The gradual release of a vitamin E analogue from both micellar nanocarriers into an aqueous and aqueous/salt medium under the influence of a concentration gradient of α-TOCA has been proved. The rate and efficiency of α-TOCA release was determined by the structure of DBC micelles. 
The α-TOCA composition with one of the nanocarriers was tested in vivo in a group of sows as a dietary supplement. The positive effect of the micellar form of α-TOCA on the metabolic processes in the sows, as well as on increasing the productivity of sows and the safety of born piglets, was established.