In this study, we present the rational design and synthesis of two novel bioactive dendritic amphiphiles, constructed from a G1-oligoglycerol scaffold conjugated with α-tocopherol (vitamin E) and 3,4,5-trimethoxy-cinnamic acid as hydrophobic moieties. Utilizing modular coupling strategies, the amphiphiles were successfully synthesized and demonstrated spontaneous self-assembly into well-defined micellar nanostructures, as characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), with hydrodynamic diameters ranging between 10 and 20 nm. Critical micelle concentrations (CMCs) were determined to be 0.6 mg/mL for the vitamin E-conjugated variant and 0.8 mg/mL for the 3,4,5-Trimethoxy cinnamate-functionalized analogue, indicating robust colloidal stability. Pyrene was employed as a model hydrophobic probe to investigate the encapsulation efficiency and release kinetics of the system. Notably, the vitamin E-based micelles exhibited pH-responsive release behavior, retaining the encapsulated payload at physiological pH (7.0) and facilitating enhanced release under mildly acidic conditions (pH 5.3), reminiscent of the tumor microenvironment. These findings underscore the dual functional advantage of incorporating bioactive hydrophobic segments—enhanced carrier–drug interactions and potential therapeutic synergy—highlighting the promise of these dendritic amphiphiles as smart, responsive drug delivery platforms with multifunctional capabilities.
Kumari et al. (Wed,) studied this question.