0000000000326684
AUTHOR
Tommasina Coviello
showing 4 related works from this author
Guar gum/borax hydrogel: Rheological, low field NMR and release characterizations
2013
Guar gum (GG) and Guar gum/borax (GGb) hydrogels are studied by means of rheology, Low Field Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (LF NMR) and model drug release tests. These three approaches are used to estimate the mesh size (ζ) of the polymeric network. A comparison with similar Scleroglucan systems is carried out. In the case of GGb, the rheological and Low Field NMR estimations of ζ lead to comparable results, while the drug release approach seems to underestimate ζ. Such discrepancy is attributed to the viscous effect of some polymeric chains that, although bound to the network to one end, can freely fluctuate among meshes. The viscous drag exerted by these chains slows down drug…
Mechanical Characterization of Polysaccharide/polyaminoacid Hydrogels as Potential Scaffolds for Tissue Regeneration
2011
The mechanical properties of hydrogel scaffolds based on hyaluronic acid (HA) that were chemically crosslinked with α,β-poly(N-2-hydroxyethyl)(2-aminoethylcarbamate)-D,L-aspartamide (PHEA-EDA) were investigated. Variation of these properties as a function of three different PHEA-EDA amounts used to crosslink HA has been related to the reaction efficiency evaluated using a colorimetric assay. Moreover, the amount of unreacted amino groups that was still present in the hydrogels was related to the attachment behavior of human dermal fibroblasts to the hydrogel surface. The mechanical data and biological results suggest the suitability of the investigated hydrogels as scaffolds for the regener…
Conformational analysis of α,β-poly(N-hydroxyethyl)-dl-aspartamide (PHEA) and α,β-polyasparthydrazide (PAHy) polymers in aqueous solution
1998
Abstract α,β-Poly(N-hydroxyethyl)- dl -aspartamide (PHEA) and α,β-polyasparthydrazide (PAHy) are synthetic polymers previously studied for biomedical applications. We report here the results of a small-angle X-ray scattering analysis carried out on these two macromolecules in aqueous solution. The data obtained indicate that the two polymers assume remarkably different conformations in aqueous solution, although the backbone is supposed to be the same for the two chains. PHEA can be represented by a random coil conformation, whereas PAHy can be described in terms of an elliptical cylinder characterized by an almost planar structural arrangement with the backbone refolded on itself in a fash…
Long-Circulating Hyaluronan-Based Nanohydrogels as Carriers of Hydrophobic Drugs
2018
[EN] Nanohydrogels based on natural polymers, such as polysaccharides, are gaining interest as vehicles for therapeutic agents, as they can modify the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the carried drugs. In this work, hyaluronan-riboflavin nanohydrogels were tested in vivo in healthy rats highlighting their lack of toxicity, even at high doses, and their different biodistribution with respect to that of native hyaluronan. They were also exploited as carriers of a hydrophobic model drug, the anti-inflammatory piroxicam, that was physically embedded within the nanohydrogels by an autoclave treatment. The nanoformulation was tested by intravenous administration showing an improvement of…