Physicochemical Insight Into Resveratrol–Micelle Interactions and Their Translation Into Green Microemulsions

ABSTRACT

Resveratrol (RES), a bioactive polyphenol, possesses antioxidant and anticancer properties. However, its poor solubility and stability in aqueous medium hampers clinical translation of these bioactivities. To address this challenge, current investigation initially focuses on physicochemical interactions of RES with micelles of traditional ionic surfactants (TIS), sodium dodecyl sulfate and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide, and choline‐based surface‐active ionic liquids (SAILs) through spectroscopic, volumetric, acoustic, and conductometric methods. Physical parameters like critical micelle concentration (CMC), binding and partition coefficients, thermodynamic functions and micellar effects are quantitated to assess solubilization behavior of RES. These physicochemical studies identify SAILs‐based choline laurate (CHLA) and choline palmitate (CHPA) as suitable biocompatible micellar systems for developing microemulsion (ME)‐based drug delivery vehicles. Built on these results, oil in water (O/W) MEs are developed with CHLA, 1‐propanol as co‐surfactant, and peppermint oil as oil phase. Visual inspection, conductivity and microscopic analyses are used to verify ME regions. Optimization of O/W ME is performed using D‐optimal mixture design. In vitro kinetics of drug release in phosphate‐buffered saline (0.1 M, pH 7.4) shows sustained RES release reaching 100% within 24 h. The results demonstrate rational translation of RES‐micellar interaction chemistry into green, biocompatible, stable and operationally easy CHLA‐based ME platform of delivering hydrophobic RES.