Synthesis and antioxidant activity evaluation of a novel cellulose hydrogel containing trans-ferulic acid

In the present work, we report the synthesis of cellulose hydrogel containing ferulic moieties and the evaluation of its antioxidant and scavenger activity. Acrylic groups were inserted onto cellulose backbone by a heterogeneous synthesis to produce two cellulose monomers with different degree of substitution (DS). The radical copolymerization of acrylcellulose (AcrC) with N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMAA) was carried out in NH3/Urea aqueous solution, in a range of composition between 24 and 60 wt% of AcrC. The obtained hydrogels were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Their equilibrium swelling degree (α%) was evaluated. They showed good swelling behavior in simulating gastric, intracellular and intestinal fluids and no more different at various pH. The ferulic moieties were directly grafted on the free hydroxylic groups of cellulose hydrogel by acylation, using dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC) and 4-hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT) as condensation agents. Finally, the antioxidant activity in inhibiting the lipid peroxidation, in rat-liver microsomal membranes, induced in vitro by two different sources of free radicals, 2,2′-azobis (2-amidinopropane) (AAPH) and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tert-BOOH), was evaluated. The effects of scavenging DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radicals were also investigated. Hydrogel was found to be very efficient scavengers of DPPH radicals. The results strongly suggested that the antioxidant hydrogel neutralize free radicals. This biomaterial could be successfully applied in pharmaceutical field both as prodrug of trans-ferulic acid than as carrier for photo and thermo-degradable drugs to improve their stability.