Synthesis and self-assembly of octenyl succinic anhydride modified short glucan chains based amphiphilic biopolymer: Micelles, ultrasmall micelles, vesicles, and lutein encapsulation/release

The amphiphilic polymers are widely used to prepare nanocarriers by self-assembly with crucial implications for biomedical, biotechnological, and food applications. An amphiphilic polymer of octenyl succinic anhydride modified short glucan chains (OSA-SGC) with various degrees of substitution (DS) were first synthesized in this work. OSA-SGC polymer spontaneously formed vesicles, micelles, and ultrasmall micelles in a phosphate buffer solution. The properties of self-assembled nanoparticles were studied using fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The critical aggregation concentrations (CAC) of OSA-SGC polymer were in the range of 0.0316–0.1260 mg/mL and decreased with increasing DS. Lutein, a hydrophobic functional ingredients, was incorporated into the OSA-SGC micelles and vesicles. Lutein-loaded nanoparticles exhibited high encapsulation efficiency (∼85%) and loading content (∼8%). Thus, the study suggested that self-aggregated nanoparticles of OSA-SGC polymer could have potential applications in the health food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical fields because they can aid in the delivery of hydrophobic functional ingredients or drugs.