• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.771-779
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• 2022

Background: As a kind of common complication of the surgery of perianal diseases, perianal ulcer is known as a nuisance. This study aims to develop a kind of 20(S)-ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3)-loaded hydrogel to treat perianal ulcers in a rat model. Methods: The copolymers PLGA₁₆₀₀-PEG₁₀₀₀-PLGA₁₆₀₀ were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization process and Rg3-loaded hydrogel was then developed. The perianal ulcer rat model was established to analyze the treatment efficacy of Rg3-loaded hydrogel for ulceration healing for 15 days. The animals were divided into control group, hydrogel group, free Rg3 group, Rg3-loaded hydrogel group, and Lidocaine Gel® group. The residual wound area rate was calculated and the blood concentrations of interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were recorded. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, Masson's Trichrome (MT) staining, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), Ki-67, CD31, ERK1/2, and NF-κB immunohistochemical staining were performed. Results: The biodegradable and biocompatible hydrogel carries a homogenous interactive porous structure with 10 ㎛ pore size and five weeks in vivo degradation time. The loaded Rg3 can be released sustainably. The in vitro cytotoxicity study showed that the hydrogel had no effect on survival rate of murine skin fibroblasts L929. The Rg3-loaded hydrogel can facilitate perianal ulcer healing by inhibiting local and systematic inflammatory responses, swelling the proliferation of nuclear cells, collagen deposition, and vascularization, and activating ERK signal pathway. Conclusion: The Rg3-loaded hydrogel shows the best treatment efficacy of perianal ulcer and may be a candidate for perianal ulcer treatment.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.416-426
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• 2023

In this study, hindered amine-grafted graphene oxide (HA-GO) with antioxidant properties was prepared and incorporated into Nafion-based composite membranes as an effective filler material for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell applications. HA-GO was synthesized via a ring-opening reaction between amine groups in 4-amino-2, 2, 6, 6-tetramethyl piperidine and epoxy groups on the surface of GO. Nafion-based composite membranes containing different weight contents of HA-GO were fabricated to compare the polymer electrolyte membrane properties with those of the pure Nafion membrane. The composite membranes with HA-GO were found to have better mechanical properties, chemical stability, and proton conductivity than the pure Nafion membrane. In particular, the conductivity retention behavior confirmed by the decrease in proton conductivity after Fenton's test of the composite membranes was better than that of the pure Nafion membrane due to the incorporation of HA-GO with effective antioxidant properties.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.322-328
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• 2009

Emulsion polymerization of octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (OMCTS) was conducted under ultrasonic irradiation. Two sources of ultrasound with different intensities and frequencies of 20 KHz and 40 KHz were used for horn and bath type reactor, respectively. A combined process of horn and bath was also investigated. The effectiveness of the reaction systems was investigated by measuring conversion as well as intrinsic viscosity of the products. The influence of reaction temperature and sonication time on the progress of sonochemical polymerization was examined. It was found that conversion of greater than 80% and high viscosity were achieved within a few minutes of sonication in a horn type reactor, however, conversion and viscosity showed maximum values depending upon the sonication time. In a bath type reactor where a relatively weak intensity was maintained, longer duration time of more than one hour of sonication was required to reach a high level of conversion and viscosity. Compared with the horn type system, the conversion and viscosity in the bath type reactor were increased along with the sonication time. When the polymerization was carried out in a combined system of horn and bath, the evolution of conversion and molecular weight was quite different from the other cases. For the given geometry of reaction system, acoustic analysis using a commercial software was carried out and the results were correlated with experimental observation.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.251-258
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• 2015

In the study, PLLA with 12,000 g/mol ($M_n$) and 14,000 g/mol ($M_w$) was synthesized from L-lactide, and used to synthesize PLLA-Br intermediate. PLLA-block-PMMA with 84,000 g/mol ($M_n$) and 126,000 g/mol ($M_w$) was finally synthesized from PLLA-Br intermediate. The glass transition temperature ($T_g$) and initial pyrolysis temperature of PLLA-block-PMMA are $95.5^{\circ}C$ and $289^{\circ}C$, respectively. The PLA film of $50{\pm}3{\mu}m$ thickness was prepared by blending PLA with 9 phr PLLA-block-PMMA followed by stretching biaxially at 3 times under $95^{\circ}C$, and annealing at $120^{\circ}C$ for 2 min. The light transmittance at 550 nm and tensile strength of the film are 88.5% and 44.5 MPa, respectively. To enhance the tensile strength of PLA film, it was required to keep the film more than 2 min at $120^{\circ}C$ during the annealing step after a biaxially orientation.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.28-36
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• 2011

Diblock copolymers composed of poly(${\varepsilon}$-caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(N,N-dimethylamino-2-ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA), or methoxy polyethylene glycol(PEG), were synthesized via a combination of ring-opening polymerization and atom-transfer radical polymerization in order to prepare polymeric nanoparticles as an antifungal drug carrier. Amphotericin B (AmB), a natural antibiotic, was incorporated into the polymeric nanoparticles. The physical properties of AmB-incorporated polymeric nanoparticles with PCL-b-PDMAEMA and PCL-b-PEG were studied in relation to morphology and particle size. In the aggregation state study, AmB-incorporated PCL-b- PDMAEMA nanoparticles exhibited a monomeric state pattern of free AmB, whereas AmB-incorporated PCL-b- PEG nanoparticles displayed an aggregated pattern. In in vitro hemolysis tests with human red blood cells, AmBincorporated PCL-b-PDMAEMA nanoparticles were seen to be 10 times less cytotoxic than free AmB (5 ${\mu}g$/ml). In addition, an improved antifungal activity of AmBincorporated polymeric nanoparticles was observed through antifungal activity tests using Candida albicans, whereas polymeric nanoparticles themselves were seen not to affect activity. Finally, in vitro AmB release studies were conducted, proving the potential of AmB-incorporated PCL-b-PDMAEMA nanoparticles as a new formulation candidate for AmB.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.346-353
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• 2011

Base hydrolysis of 7-hydroxy-2H-chromen-2-one (HC) and 7-hydroxy-2H-chromen-2-one-4-acetic acid (HCA) in aqueous-methanol and aqueous-acetone mixtures were studied kinetically at temperature range from 283 to 313 K. The activation parameters of the reactions were evaluated and discussed. Moreover, the change in the activation energy barrier of the investigated compounds from water to water-methanol and water-acetone mixtures was estimated from the kinetic data. It is observed that the change in activation barriers is more or less the same for the hydrolysis of HC and HCA. Base hydrolysis of HC and HCA follows a rate law with $k_{obs}=k_2[OH^-]$. The decrease in the rate constants of HC and HCA as the proportion of methanol or acetone increases is due to the destabilization of $OH^-$ ion. The high negative values of entropy of activation support the proposal mechanism, i.e. the investigated reaction takes place via the formation of an intermediate complex. Moreover, these values refer to the rigidity and stability of the intermediate complex. Thus, the ring opening of the intermediate complex would be the rate controlling step.

• Composites Research
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.138-144
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• 2017

Damage sensing of polymer composite films consisting of poly(dicyclopentadiene) p-DCPD and carbon nanotube (CNT) was studied experimentally. Only up to 1st ring-opening polymerization occurred with the addition of CNT, which made the modified film electrically conductive, while interfering with polymerization. The interfacial adhesion of composite films with varying CNT concentration was evaluated by measuring the wettability using the static contact angle method. 0.5 wt% CNT/p-DCPD was determined to be the optimal condition via electrical dispersion method and tensile test. Dynamic fatigue test was conducted to evaluate the durability of the films by measuring the change in electrical resistance. For the initial three cycles, the change in electrical resistance pattern was similar to the tensile stress-strain curve. The CNT/p-DCPD film was attached to an epoxy matrix to demonstrate its utilization as a sensor for fracture behavior. At the onset of epoxy fracture, electrical resistance showed a drastic increase, which indicated adhesive fracture between sensor and matrix. It leads to prediction of crack and fracture of matrix.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.10 no.7
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• pp.1028-1034
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• 1999

Poly(lactic acid) is expected to be one of the most promising biodegradable polymers. However, the high molecular weight polymer could be obtained by ring-opening polymerization process conventionally, which raises the production cost and decreases the final yield. In this study, linear and star-shaped poly(L-lactic acid)s were prepared by direct solution polycondensation method and their physical and thermal properties were examined. Tin compounds were found to be effective catalyst for the preparation of high molecular weight polymers. When 0.2g (0.5 wt % of monomer) of $SnCl_2$ and 100 mL of p-xylene were used, the polymer yield and molecular weight were relatively high. As a means to obtain higher molecular weight polymer easily in the direct polycondensation system, dipentaerythritol(dipet) or pentaerythritol(pet) was introduced as a multifunctional branching monomer to provide a star-shaped poly(lactic acid). Moderately high molecular weight polymers with the inherent viscosity values up to 1.14 dL/g(weight-average molecular weight of about 140000 by GPC) were obtained and could be cast strong and transparent films.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.274-281
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• 2010

In this study, PEG-PLA(or PLGA) amphiphilic di-block copolymers were synthesized by ring opening polymerization of D,L-lactide(or glycolide) and applied to polymeric micelle system for solubilization of a rosiglitazone as diabetes drug. The drug could be efficiently loaded into the polymer micelle by solid dispersion technique, and the drug-loaded micelles were characterized and evaluated as a drug delivery carrier by fluorescence spectrometer, DSC, and DLS measurements. The colloidal stability of drug loaded micelles in aqueous media could be enhanced by addition of 2-hydroxy-N-picolylnitinamide as a hydrotropic agent. The polymer micelles also showed biocompatible and nontoxic properties in vitro cell viability using MTT assay, and the drug loaded micelles were observed to be more effective than free drug for decreasing glucose in blood of rats.

• Journal of Integrative Natural Science
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.18-23
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• 2009

This minireview provides the chosen examples of our recent discoveries in the polymerization of hydrosilanes, dihydrosilole, lactones, and vinyl derivatives using various catalysts. Hydrosilanes and lactones copolymerize to give poly(lactone-co-silane)s with $Cp_2MCl_2$/Red-Al (M = Ti, Zr, Hf) catalyst. Hydrosilanes (including dihydrosilole) reduce noble metal complexes (e.g., $AgNO_3$, $Ag_2SO_4$, $HAuCl_4$, $H_2PtCl_6$) to give nanoparticles along with silicon polymers such as polysilanes, polysilole, polysiloxanes (and silicas) depending on the reaction conditions. Interestingly, phenylsilane dehydrocoupled to polyphenylsilane in the inert nitrogen atmosphere while phenylsilane dehydrocoupled to silica in the ambient air atmosphere. $Cp_2M/CX_4$ (M = Fe, Co, Ni; X = Cl, Br, I) combination initiate the polymerization of vinyl monomers. In the photopolymerization of vinyl monomers using $Cp_2M/CCl_4$ (M = Fe, Co, Ni), the photopolymerization of MMA initiated by $Cp_2M/CCl_4$ (M = Fe, Co, Ni) shows while the polymerization yield decreases in the order $Cp_2Fe$ > $Cp_2Ni$ > $Cp_2Co$, the molecular weight decreases in the order $Cp_2Co$ > $Cp_2Ni$ > $Cp_2Fe$. For the photohomopolymerization and photocopolymerization of MA and AA, the similar trends were observed. The photopolymerizations are not living. Many exciting possibilities remain to be examined and some of them are demonstrated in the body of the minireview.