Exploring Mucoadhesive and Toxicological Characteristics Following Modification of Linear Polyethylenimine with Various Anhydrides

Linear polyethylenimine (L-PEI) has numerous applications, such as in pharmaceutical formulations, gene delivery, and water treatment. However, due to the presence of secondary amine groups, L-PEI shows a relatively high toxicity and low biocompatibility. Here, various organic anhydrides were used to modify L-PEI to reduce its toxicity and enhance its functionality. We selected methacrylic anhydride, crotonic anhydride, maleic anhydride, and succinic anhydride to modify L-PEI. The structure of the resulting derivatives was characterized using