Incorporation of Resveratrol in Polymeric Nanogel for Improvement of Its Protective Effects on Cellular and Microsomal Oxidative Stress Models

Nanogels are attractive drug delivery systems that provide high loading capacity for drug molecules, improve their stability, and increase cellular uptake. Natural antioxidants, especially polyphenols such as resveratrol, are distinguished by low aqueous solubility, which hinders therapeutic activity. Thus, in the present study, resveratrol was incorporated into nanogel particles, aiming to improve its protective effects in vitro. The nanogel was prepared from natural substances via esterification of citric acid and pentane-1,2,5-triol. High encapsulation efficiency (94.5%) was achieved by applying the solvent evaporation method. Dynamic light scattering, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy revealed that the resveratrol-loaded nanogel particles were spherical in shape with nanoscopic dimensions (220 nm). In vitro release tests showed that a complete release of resveratrol was achieved for 24 h, whereas at the same time the non-encapsulated drug was poorly dissolved. The protective effect of the encapsulated resveratrol against oxidative stress in fibroblast and neuroblastoma cells was significantly stronger compared to the non-encapsulated drug. Similarly, the protection in a model of iron/ascorbic acid-induced lipid peroxidation on rat liver and brain microsomes was higher with the encapsulated resveratrol. In conclusion, embedding resveratrol in this newly developed nanogel improved its biopharmaceutical properties and protective effects in oxidative stress models.