Biopolymer-based supramolecular micelles from β-cyclodextrin and methylcellulose

Supramolecular polymer micelles (SMPMs) were constructed from natural and natural-derived polymers: β-cyclodextrin (β-CD)/maleic anhydride modified β-cyclodextrin (MAh-β-CD) and methylcellulose (MC) in aqueous solution by one-pot self-assembly procedure, in which, β-CD and MAh-β-CD inclusion complexes were used as the hydrophilic shell and the free MC as the core. The shapes of the SMPMs were regular spheres with diameters of 25 ± 5 nm. The critical micelle concentrations, calculated from steady-state fluorescence emission spectra, were around 15.13 and 20.89 mg/L for MC/β-CD and MC/MAh-β-CD SMPMs, respectively. The in vitro drug release behaviors of the micelles were studied using prednisone acetate as a model drug, and the results showed that the MC/MAh-β-CD micelle had a drug-enrichment core and excellent drug released behaviors with a sustaining release time of 700 h.