Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42122711›Full record

ArticlePolymers2026

Experimental and Computational Analysis of Phenolic Acid Association with PAMAM Dendrimers: Comparing Different Formulation Techniques.

Christopher Sbarbaro, Ma Andreina Rangel-Ramírez, Emilio Salas, Francisco Salgado, María Carolina Otero, Alvaro A Elorza, Fernando González-Nilo, Valeria Márquez-Miranda, Yorley Duarte

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Polymers, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Christopher SbarbaroCenter of Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago 8370035, Chile.ORCID 0000-0002-2300-9513
Ma Andreina Rangel-RamírezDepartamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago 8370035, Chile.ORCID 0000-0003-0257-6751
Emilio SalasCenter of Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago 8370035, Chile.
Francisco SalgadoCenter of Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago 8370035, Chile.
María Carolina OteroEscuela de Química y Farmacia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago 8370035, Chile.ORCID 0000-0002-8608-9813
Alvaro A ElorzaInstituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina y Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago 8370035, Chile.ORCID 0000-0003-1570-9832
Fernando González-NiloCenter of Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago 8370035, Chile.ORCID 0000-0001-6857-3575
Valeria Márquez-MirandaCenter of Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago 8370035, Chile.
Yorley DuarteCenter of Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago 8370035, Chile.

Funding

Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Exploración 13240083Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo FONDECYT 11241081Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo FONDECYT 1240695Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo FONDEF ID25I10496National Agency for Research and Development FONDECYT 1251799Universidad Andrés Bello DI-01-19/N
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers are widely recognized as versatile nanocarriers due to their tunable architecture and ability to associate with bioactive molecules. In this study, generation 3 PAMAM dendrimers functionalized with triphenylphosphonium (TPP) were employed to investigate the association of structurally related phenolic compounds-caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, and cinnamic acid-through either covalent conjugation or non-covalent encapsulation. Physicochemical characterization by NMR, dynamic light scattering, and zeta potential measurements revealed the formation of supramolecular aggregates rather than isolated dendrimer units, with hydrodynamic diameters ranging from 127 to 260 nm and positive surface charge across all formulations. Encapsulation efficiencies determined by HPLC reached 93.8% for caffeic acid, 78.9% for p-coumaric acid, and 71% for cinnamic acid, indicating differential association behavior. Molecular dynamics simulations over 1 μs supported these findings, showing stronger and more stable interactions for polar antioxidants, particularly caffeic acid, driven by hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions, while cinnamic acid displayed preferential binding in more hydrophobic dendrimer regions. Radical scavenging assays (DPPH• and ABTS•+) demonstrated that all formulations retained antioxidant capacity, although dendrimer association modulated scavenging kinetics. In cellular assays under oxidative stress, free caffeic acid exhibited the strongest immediate reduction of intracellular reactive oxygen species, whereas dendrimer-associated systems showed reduced but significant activity, consistent with decreased solvent accessibility and slower release predicted by simulations. Overall, these results highlight a trade-off between molecular retention and immediate biological efficacy, demonstrating that the mode of association governs antioxidant accessibility and performance. This combined experimental and computational approach provides a mechanistic framework for the rational design of dendrimer-based delivery systems aimed at balancing stability and functional activity.

Indexed as

antioxidant activitycomputational modelingdrug deliveryencapsulationnanocarriernanomedicinephenolic compounds

Identifiers

PMID42122711
PMCPMC13165792

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.