n-monosubstituted methoxy-oligo(ethylene glycol) carbamate ester prodrugs of resveratrol

Resveratrol is a natural polyphenol with many interesting biological activities. Its pharmacological exploitation in vivo is, however, hindered by its rapid elimination via phase II conjugative metabolism at the intestinal and, most importantly, hepatic levels. One approach to bypass this problem relies on prodrugs. We report here the synthesis, characterization, hydrolysis, and in vivo pharmacokinetic behavior of resveratrol prodrugs in which the OH groups are engaged in an N-monosubstituted carbamate ester linkage. As promoiety, methoxy-oligo(ethylene glycol) groups (m-OEG) (CH3–[OCH2CH2]n–) of defined chain length (n = 3, 4, 6) were used. These are expected to modulate the chemico-physical properties of the resulting derivatives, much like longer poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains, while retaining a relatively low MW and, thus, a favorable drug loading capacity. Intragastric administration to rats resulted in the appearance in the bloodstream of the prodrug and of the products of its partial hydrolysis, confirming protection from first-pass metabolism during absorption.