Abstract
The bioflavonoid, rosmarinic acid (RA), an antioxidant compound that exists in many plants, including mint, rosemary, and basil, was polymerized and its physical properties and biological activity were evaluated. The poly(rosmarinic acid) (p(RA)) particles were synthesized by employing an emulsion polymerization/crosslinking method using the trimethylolpropane triglycidyl ether (TMPGDE) crosslinker in span 80/gasoline reverse micelle systems. The 3-dimensional, structural, and thermal characterization of the p(RA) particles were carried out using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and thermal gravimetric analyzer (TGA), respectively. The zeta potential values of the p(RA) particles at different solution pHs were also determined. The release of monomeric RA from the particles at 37.5 oC was determined at the following pHs: 5.4, 7.4, and 9. The antioxidant properties of p(RA) particles were determined by means of the total phenol capacities employing Folin-Ciocalteau (FC) method, total Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and DPPH scavenging capacity techniques. Finally, the biocompatibility of RA and p(RA) particles with mammalian cells was tested with COS-1 cells, a standard fibroblastic cell line derived from African green monkey kidney.
