Obtaining biologically active composites of arabinogalactan with betulin and L-histidine and studies of their physicochemical properties

InformationBetulin, isolated from birch bark, is a valuable biologically active substance that exhibits a wide range of pharmacological activities.However, the poor water solubility of betulin limits its use in medical and pharmaceutical applications.Arabinogalactan is a biodegradable, water-soluble natural polysaccharide, that is is primarily isolated from larch wood.Mechanochemical technologies are increasingly recognized for their sustainability, environmental benefits, and efficiency in synthesizing a wide range of chemicals and materials.In this study, ball milling was used to obtain biologically active composites of betulin with arabinogalactan in binary and ternary systems using a heterocyclic α-amino acid L-histidine as a betulin co-former.The formation of mechanocomposites was confirmed by X-ray phase analysis, IR spectroscopy and thermal analysis.The intermolecular interactions of betulin with L-histidine and arabinogalactan inhibit drug crystallization, maintaining its molecular distribution in the biopolymer.Due to antioxidant properties of L-histidine, which is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, ulcers, anemia, and other diseases, new pharmaceutical properties of the composites can be expected.When the obtained mechanocomposites were dissolved in water, a higher concentration of betulin in solution was achieved, compared to the solubility of the initial substance, due to the distribution of the drug in the polymer and stabilization of its amorphous structure.