Effects of inner polarity and viscosity of amphiphilic phospholipid polymer aggregates on the solubility enhancement of poorly water-soluble drugs

We quantitatively evaluated the properties of aggregates of amphiphilic polymers formed in an aqueous medium and clarified the effect of the inside polarity and viscosity of the polymer aggregate on the solubilization of poorly water-soluble drugs. Three water-soluble amphiphilic 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) polymers with various hydrophobic monomer units, namely, n-butyl methacrylate (BMA), 2-methacryloyloxyethyl butylurethane (MEBU), and 2-methacryloyloxyethyl benzylurethane (MEBZU), were synthesized. The different molecular interactions between the hydrophobic monomer units, such as hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and dispersion force between the aromatic rings, were considered. Fluorescence spectroscopic measurements revealed that every polymer aggregate had almost the same polarity as that of ethanol. Also, the polymers with urethane bonds, poly(MPC-co-MEBU) and poly(MPC-co-MEBZU) had slightly higher polarity and viscosity inside the polymer aggregate than that of poly(MPC-co-BMA). The water solubility of nifedipine and indomethacin was clearly enhanced in the MPC polymer aqueous solution depending on the polymer structure. As indomethacin is less soluble in polar solvents than is nifedipine, it needed to be transferred deeper into the polymer aggregates for stable solubilization. It is plausible that the high viscosity inside the polymer aggregate prevented the diffusion of drug molecules. We concluded that not only the polarity inside the polymer aggregates and the strength of the interaction force between the polymer and drug, but also the viscosity inside the polymer aggregates were responsible for enhancing the solubilization of poorly water-soluble drugs.