Targeted delivery of puerarin/glycyrrhetinic acid-PEG-PBLA complex attenuated liver ischemia/reperfusion injury via modulating Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor-κB pathway

Aim: To synthesize a puerarin nanoparticle based on glycyrrhetinic acid (GA)-PEG-PBLA and evaluate it in vivo. Materials & methods: In this study, drug nanoparticle was synthesized, characterized and assessed as puerarin delivery system. Nanoparticle GA-PEG-PBLA could combine with puerarin via hydrophobic interaction to form the compound. Puerarin could be quickly and efficiently loaded via the nanoparticle GA-PEG-PBLA at pH 7.4. Further, GA-PEG-PBLA-mediated puerarin delivery system could target for the liver that had GA receptor binding. The antiliver ischemia/reperfusion injury role of puerarin/GA-PEG-PBLA was measured in rats using free puerarin and puerarin/PEG-PBLA as the controls. Results: GA-PEG-PBLA displayed efficient loading and sustained release. Puerarin/GA-PEG-PBLA showed strengthened antiliver ischemia/reperfusion injury characteristics. Conclusion: Overall, the results show that GA-PEG-PBLA could be regarded as an underlying puerarin nanoparticle.