pH-responsive magnetic micelles gelatin-g-poly(NIPAAm-co-DMAAm-co-UA)-g-dextran/Fe3O4 as a hydrophilic drug carrier

pH-responsive magnetic micelles are beneficial for time-controlled and site-specific drug delivery without triggering potential biological side effects. In this study, gelatin-g-poly(NIPAAm-co-DMAAm-co-UA)-gdextran/Fe3O4 (GPDF) pH-responsive magnetic micelles were synthesized to carry a hydrophilic insulin-promoting factor, nicotinamide. The chemical structures were analyzed via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) analysis confirmed the superparamagnetic property of the GPDF micelle. The accumulative nicotinamide release under pathological pH conditions (pH 6.6) was found to be three-fold higher than that under normal pH conditions (pH 7.2). The results suggest that GPDF is beneficial for a pH-selective and magnetic target-controlled release drug delivery system.