Antioxidant Polymers via the Ugi Reaction for In Vivo Protection of UV-Induced Oxidative Stress

Abstract

Small-molecule antioxidants perform poorly in vivo in combating oxidative stress because of their low bioavailability. Water-soluble polymeric antioxidants can overcome the limitations of small molecular antioxidants (instability, poor water solubility, fast metabolism, etc.), but there are only a few efficient synthesis methods to prepare safe and effective polymeric antioxidants. In this study, we develop a series of antioxidant polymers containing ferrocene and/or indole moieties through the Ugi four-component reaction and simple free radical polymerization. These polymers are screened using different criteria to find a biocompatible antioxidative polymer that effectively inhibits the lethal and teratogenic effects of UV-induced oxidative damage on zebrafish embryos. This study identifies a strategy to use antioxidative polymers in vivo, demonstrates the value of multicomponent reactions in interdisciplinary areas, and provides the underlying insights to guide the design of antioxidant polymeric biomaterials.

Application of ferrocene‐grafted polyethylene as UV‐absorbers

“…Specifically, PE-g- AF can convert high-energy UV into other forms of energy and release it, thus avoiding the degradation of PE. [44][45][46][47] To further investigate the UV aging resistance of PEg-AF, we conducted experiments comparing it to UV-329, a widely used commercial UV-absorber, at a mass addition of 1.0%. The aging degree was monitored by tracking the changes in carbonyl peak intensity in the FT-IR spectra.…”

Molecular orientation rules the efficiency of immobilized antioxidants

“…Industrial applications of antioxidants have already evolved since the late 60 0 s, when the essential role of the native enzymes in the defence system of the human body against reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) was demonstrated [1]. Thereafter, antioxidant-based processes have become indispensable for various industries -such as food or cosmetic manufacturing -to reduce the amounts of by-products, to extend expiration-date and, in parallel, to maximize the economic profit [2][3][4][5].…”

Introducing the aza-Michael addition reaction between acrylate and dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-thione into polymer chemistry

“…Some recent MCRderived polymers have been identified as multifunctional drug carriers, metal chelators, antioxidants, antibacterial materials, etc. 14,16,21,23,24,[27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39] At present, polymer preparation by MCRs is a thriving branch of polymer science; developing new polymers on the basis of the reactivity of multicomponent structures is important for this area and has been barely explored.…”

“…Examples of these MCRs include the Passerini, Ugi, Kabachnik–Fields, Hantzsch, and Biginelli reactions and metal-catalysed and alkyne-based MCRs. 1–26 Polymers prepared by MCRs have new main/side-chain structures, and they also possess new functions stemming from the multicomponent products. Some recent MCR-derived polymers have been identified as multifunctional drug carriers, metal chelators, antioxidants, antibacterial materials, etc .…”