Solid state synthesis of hyaluronic acid‐quercetin conjugate: sustainable protocol to improve the biological activity of quercetin

: Herein, a sustainable solid-state procedure was employed for the synthesis of a water soluble molecule obtained d by linking hyaluronic acid to the hydrophobic quercetin (HA-QCT). The micellar   self-aggregation of the developed conjugate suggested its employment as drug delivery nano-system, considering the numerous biological activities of QCT. Indeed, the spectroscopic characterization (UV-vis and FT-IR) ensured that the QCT maintained  its chemical integrity. In addition, a cytotoxicity test revealed that HA-QCT could be employed as a biocompatible drug vehicle for pharmacological purposes. A preliminary colorimetric test also confirmed that QCT retained its anti-oxidant activity.