Broccoli-Derived Nanoparticle Inhibits Mouse Colitis by Activating Dendritic Cell AMP-Activated Protein Kinase

Oral administration of turmeric-derived exosome-like nanovesicles with anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving bioactions for murine colitis therapy

BACKGROUND

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) characterized by diffuse inflammation of the colonic mucosa and a relapsing and remitting course. The current therapeutics are only modestly effective and carry risks for unacceptable adverse events, and thus more effective approaches to treat UC is clinically needed.

RESULTS

For this purpose, turmeric-derived nanoparticles with a specific population (TDNPs 2) were characterized, and their targeting ability and therapeutic effects against colitis were investigated systematically. The hydrodynamic size of TDNPs 2 was around 178 nm, and the zeta potential was negative (- 21.7 mV). Mass spectrometry identified TDNPs 2 containing high levels of lipids and proteins. Notably, curcumin, the bioactive constituent of turmeric, was evidenced in TDNPs 2. In lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute inflammation, TDNPs 2 showed excellent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. In mice colitis models, we demonstrated that orally administrated of TDNPs 2 could ameliorate mice colitis and accelerate colitis resolution via regulating the expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β, and antioxidant gene, HO-1. Results obtained from transgenic mice with NF-κB-RE-Luc indicated that TDNPs 2-mediated inactivation of the NF-κB pathway might partially contribute to the protective effect of these particles against colitis.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that TDNPs 2 from edible turmeric represent a novel, natural colon-targeting therapeutics that may prevent colitis and promote wound repair in colitis while outperforming artificial nanoparticles in terms of low toxicity and ease of large-scale production.

The Potentiality of Plant-Derived Nanovesicles in Human Health-A Comparison with Human Exosomes and Artificial Nanoparticles

Research in science and medicine is witnessing a massive increases in literature concerning extracellular vesicles (EVs). From a morphological point of view, EVs include extracellular vesicles of a micro and nano sizes. However, this simplistic classification does not consider both the source of EVs, including the cells and the species from which Evs are obtained, and the microenvironmental condition during EV production. These two factors are of crucial importance for the potential use of Evs as therapeutic agents. In fact, the choice of the most suitable Evs for drug delivery remains an open debate, inasmuch as the use of Evs of human origin may have at least two major problems: (i) autologous Evs from a patient may deliver dangerous molecules; and (ii) the production of EVs is also limited to cell factory conditions for large-scale industrial use. Recent literature, while limited to only a few papers, when compared to the papers on the use of human EVs, suggests that plant-derived nanovesicles (PDNV) may represent a valuable tool for extensive use in health care.

Does Plant Breeding for Antioxidant-Rich Foods Have an Impact on Human Health?

Given the general beneficial effects of antioxidants-rich foods on human health and disease prevention, there is a continuous interest in plant secondary metabolites conferring attractive colors to fruits and grains and responsible, together with others, for nutraceutical properties. Cereals and Solanaceae are important components of the human diet, thus, they are the main targets for functional food development by exploitation of genetic resources and metabolic engineering. In this review, we focus on the impact of antioxidants-rich cereal and Solanaceae derived foods on human health by analyzing natural biodiversity and biotechnological strategies aiming at increasing the antioxidant level of grains and fruits, the impact of agronomic practices and food processing on antioxidant properties combined with a focus on the current state of pre-clinical and clinical studies. Despite the strong evidence in in vitro and animal studies supporting the beneficial effects of antioxidants-rich diets in preventing diseases, clinical studies are still not sufficient to prove the impact of antioxidant rich cereal and Solanaceae derived foods on human

Plant-Derived Exosomes as A Drug-Delivery Approach for the Treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Colitis-Associated Cancer

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic recurrent intestinal disease and includes Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Due to the complex etiology of colitis, the current treatments of IBD are quite limited and are mainly concentrated on the remission of the disease. In addition, the side effects of conventional drugs on the body cannot be ignored. IBD also has a certain relationship with colitis-associated cancer (CAC), and inflammatory cells can produce a large number of tumor-promoting cytokines to promote tumor progression. In recent years, exosomes from plants have been found to have the ability to load drugs to target the intestine and have great potential for the treatment of intestinal diseases. This plant-derived exosome-targeting delivery system can load chemical or nucleic acid drugs and deliver them to intestinal inflammatory sites stably and efficiently. This review summarizes the pathophysiological characteristics of IBD and CAC as well as the application and prospect of plant exosomes in the treatment of IBD and CAC.

Edible plant-derived nanotherapeutics and nanocarriers: recent progress and future directions

INTRODUCTION

High drug delivery efficiency, desirable therapeutic effects, and low toxicity have become crucial to develop nanotherapeutics. Natural nanoparticles (NPs) from edible plants contain a large quantity of bioactive small molecules, proteins, glycolipids, and microRNAs. The development of these NPs has rapidly attracted increasing attention due to their merits of green production, excellent biocompatibility, anti-inflammatory activities, and antitumor capacities.

AREAS COVERED

Here, we introduce the extraction, purification, and construction strategies of plant-derived exosome-like NPs (PDENs) and expound on their physicochemical properties, biomedical functions, and therapeutic effects against various diseases. We also recapitulate future directions and challenges of the emerging nanotherapeutics.

EXPERT OPINION

PDENs have been used as natural nanotherapeutics and nanocarriers. The challenges of applying PDENs primarily stem from the lack of understanding of the mechanisms that drive the tissue-specific targeting properties. Elucidating the underlying targeting mechanisms is one of the major focuses in this review, which helps to gain new research opportunities for the development of natural nanotherapeutics. Despite excellent biosafety and therapeutic effects in the treatment of various diseases, the medical translation of these NPs has still been limited by low yields and cold-chain dependence. Therefore, exploiting new techniques will be required for their massive production and storage.

Plant-RNA in Extracellular Vesicles: The Secret of Cross-Kingdom Communication

The release of extracellular vesicles (EVs) is a common language, used by living organisms from different kingdoms as a means of communication between them. Extracellular vesicles are lipoproteic particles that contain many biomolecules, such as proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids. The primary role of EVs is to convey information to the recipient cells, affecting their function. Plant-derived extracellular vesicles (PDEVs) can be isolated from several plant species, and the study of their biological properties is becoming an essential starting point to study cross-kingdom communication, especially between plants and mammalians. Furthermore, the presence of microRNAs (miRNAs) in PDEVs represents an interesting aspect for understanding how PDEVs can target the mammalian genes involved in pathological conditions such as cancer, inflammation, and oxidative stress. In particular, this review focuses on the history of PDEVs, from their discovery, to purification from various matrices, and on the functional role of PDEV-RNAs in cross-kingdom interactions. It is worth noting that miRNAs packaged in PDEVs can be key modulators of human gene expression, representing potential therapeutic agents.

The interaction between nanoparticles and immune system: application in the treatment of inflammatory diseases

Nanoparticle (NP) is an emerging tool applied in the biomedical field. With combination of different materials and adjustment of their physical and chemical properties, nanoparticles can have diverse effects on the organism and may change the treating paradigm of multiple diseases in the future. More and more results show that nanoparticles can function as immunomodulators and some formulas have been approved for the treatment of inflammation-related diseases. However, our current understanding of the mechanisms that nanoparticles can influence immune responses is still limited, and systemic clinical trials are necessary for the evaluation of their security and long-term effects. This review provides an overview of the recent advances in nanoparticles that can interact with different cellular and molecular components of the immune system and their application in the management of inflammatory diseases, which are caused by abnormal immune reactions. This article focuses on the mechanisms of interaction between nanoparticles and the immune system and tries to provide a reference for the future design of nanotechnology for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Technology insight: Plant-derived vesicles-How far from the clinical biotherapeutics and therapeutic drug carriers?

Within the past decades, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as important mediators of intercellular communication in both prokaryotes and higher eukaryotes to regulate a diverse range of biological processes. Besides EVs, exosome-like nanoparticles (ELNs) derived from plants were also emerging. Comparing to EVs, ELNs are source-widespread, cost-effective and easy to obtain. Their definite activities can be utilized for potential prevention/treatment of an abundance of diseases, including metabolic syndrome, cancer, colitis, alcoholic hepatitis and infectious diseases, which highlights ELNs as promising biotherapeutics. In addition, the potential of ELNs as natural or engineered drug carriers is also attractive. In this review, we tease out the timeline of plant EVs and ELNs, introduce the arising separation, purification and characterization techniques, state the stability and transport manner, discuss the therapeutic opportunities as well as the potential as novel drug carriers. Finally, the challenges and the direction of efforts to realize the clinical transformation of ELNs are also discussed.

Characterizing Kaempferia parviflora extracellular vesicles, a nanomedicine candidate

Plant-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a promising candidate for nanomedicine delivery due to their bioactive cargos, high biocompatibility to human cells, biodegradability, low cytotoxicity, and potential for large-scale production. However, the research on EVs derived from medicinal plants is very limited. In this study, Kaempferia parviflora extracellular vesicles (KPEVs) were isolated by differential and sucrose density gradient centrifugation, and their size, morphology, and surface charge were characterized using transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. The biological properties of KPEVs, including their bioactive compound composition, gastric uptake, cytotoxicity, acid tolerance, and storage stability, were also examined. In addition, KPEVs had an average and uniform size of 200–300 nm and a negative surface charge of 14.7 ± 3.61 mV. Moreover, 5,7-dimethoxyflavone, the major bioactive compound of KP, was packaged into KPEVs. Meanwhile, KPEVs were resistant to gastric digestion and stably maintained at −20°C and −80°C for 8 weeks with no freeze-thaw cycle. The lipid hydrolysis during EVs storage at room temperature and 4°C were also demonstrated for the first time. Furthermore, the labeled KPEVs were internalized into adenocarcinoma gastric cells, and the cell viability was reduced in a dose-dependent manner, according to the results of the thiazolyl blue tetrazolium assay. Our study supports the potential application of KPEVs as a vehicle for anticancer or oral drugs.

Modulatory Effects of Biosynthesized Gold Nanoparticles Conjugated with Curcumin and Paclitaxel on Tumorigenesis and Metastatic Pathways-In Vitro and In Vivo Studies

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women globally, and diagnosing it early and finding potential drug candidates against multi-drug resistant metastatic breast cancers provide the possibilities of better treatment and extending life. Methods: The current study aimed to evaluate the synergistic anti-metastatic activity of Curcumin (Cur) and Paclitaxel (Pacli) individually, the combination of Curcumin–Paclitaxel (CP), and also in conjugation with gold nanoparticles (AuNP–Curcumin (Au-C), AuNP–Paclitaxel (Au-P), and AuNP–Curcumin–Paclitaxel (Au-CP)) in various in vitro and in vivo models. Results: The results from combination treatments of CP and Au-CP demonstrated excellent synergistic cytotoxic effects in triple-negative breast cancer cell lines (MDA MB 231 and 4T1) in in vitro and in vivo mouse models. Detailed mechanistic studies were performed that reveal that the anti-cancer effects were associated with the downregulation of the expression of VEGF, CYCLIN-D1, and STAT-3 genes and upregulation of the apoptotic Caspase-9 gene. The group of mice that received CP combination therapy (with and without gold nanoparticles) showed a significant reduction in the size of tumor when compared to the Pacli alone treatment and control groups. Conclusions: Together, the results suggest that the delivery of gold conjugated Au-CP formulations may help in modulating the outcomes of chemotherapy. The present study is well supported with observations from cell-based assays, molecular and histopathological analyses.

An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away: Potential Role of miRNA 146 on Macrophages Treated with Exosomes Derived from Apples

The constant dialogue between the plant world and the animal world (including man among them) has been known since the time of Adam and Eve, where an apple was the origin of the evils of the world. Apart from Snow White—who might have something to object to when it comes to the use of apples—fruits, plants, and natural extracts have been known for millennia as remedies for human health-related ailments. In the light of such evidence, the aim of the present work was to investigate from a biological point of view the potential role of apple exosomes in inflammatory processes on human cells. To this end we isolated and characterized apple exosomes and treated human cells such as macrophages and NCTC L929 as cancer cells in order to evaluate the tumorigenic and anti-inflammatory effect of apple exomes. Microscopic and molecular biology analyses were conducted to characterize exosomes and to assess cell proliferation, death, and miRNA line, as well as gene expression and the uptake of exosomes by cells. The results confirm the absolute biological safety of exosomes and their anti-inflammatory effect, mediated mainly by miRNA146 production by M2 macrophages.

Natural exosome-like nanovesicles from edible tea flowers suppress metastatic breast cancer via ROS generation and microbiota modulation

Although several artificial nanotherapeutics have been approved for practical treatment of metastatic breast cancer, their inefficient therapeutic outcomes, serious adverse effects, and high cost of mass production remain crucial challenges. Herein, we developed an alternative strategy to specifically trigger apoptosis of breast tumors and inhibit their lung metastasis by using natural nanovehicles from tea flowers (TFENs). These nanovehicles had desirable particle sizes (131 nm), exosome-like morphology, and negative zeta potentials. Furthermore, TFENs were found to contain large amounts of polyphenols, flavonoids, functional proteins, and lipids. Cell experiments revealed that TFENs showed strong cytotoxicities against cancer cells due to the stimulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) amplification. The increased intracellular ROS amounts could not only trigger mitochondrial damage, but also arrest cell cycle, resulting in the in vitro anti-proliferation, anti-migration, and anti-invasion activities against breast cancer cells. Further mice investigations demonstrated that TFENs after intravenous (i.v.) injection or oral administration could accumulate in breast tumors and lung metastatic sites, inhibit the growth and metastasis of breast cancer, and modulate gut microbiota. This study brings new insights to the green production of natural exosome-like nanoplatform for the inhibition of breast cancer and its lung metastasis via i.v. and oral routes.

Elaboration of a Phytoremediation Strategy for Successful and Sustainable Rehabilitation of Disturbed and Degraded Land

Humans are dependent upon soil which supplies food, fuel, chemicals, medicine, sequesters pollutants, purifies and conveys water, and supports the built environment. In short, we need soil, but it has little or no need of us. Agriculture, mining, urbanization and other human activities result in temporary land-use and once complete, used and degraded land should be rehabilitated and restored to minimize loss of soil carbon. It is generally accepted that the most effective strategy is phyto-remediation. Typically, phytoremediation involves re-invigoration of soil fertility, physicochemical properties, and its microbiome to facilitate establishment of appropriate climax cover vegetation. A myco-phytoremediation technology called Fungcoal was developed in South Africa to achieve these outcomes for land disturbed by coal mining. Here we outline the contemporary and expanded rationale that underpins Fungcoal, which relies on in situ bio-conversion of carbonaceous waste coal or discard, in order to explore the probable origin of humic substances (HS) and soil organic matter (SOM). To achieve this, microbial processing of low-grade coal and discard, including bio-liquefaction and bio-conversion, is examined in some detail. The significance, origin, structure, and mode of action of coal-derived humics are recounted to emphasize the dynamic equilibrium, that is, humification and the derivation of soil organic matter (SOM). The contribution of plant exudate, extracellular vesicles (EV), extra polymeric substances (EPS), and other small molecules as components of the dynamic equilibrium that sustains SOM is highlighted. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), saprophytic ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF), and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are considered essential microbial biocatalysts that provide mutualistic support to sustain plant growth following soil reclamation and restoration. Finally, we posit that de novo synthesis of SOM is by specialized microbial consortia (or ‘humifiers’) which use molecular components from the root metabolome; and, that combinations of functional biocatalyst act to re-establish and maintain the soil dynamic. It is concluded that a bio-scaffold is necessary for functional phytoremediation including maintenance of the SOM dynamic and overall biogeochemistry of organic carbon in the global ecosystem

Algal Cells-Derived Extracellular Vesicles: A Review With Special Emphasis on Their Antimicrobial Effects

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) originated from different cells of approximately all kinds of organisms, recently got more attention because of their potential in the treatment of diseases and reconstructive medicine. To date, lots of studies have been performed on mammalian-derived vesicles, but little attention has been paid to algae and marine cells as valuable sources of EVs. Proving the promising role of EVs in medicine requires sufficient resources to produce qualified microvesicles. Algae, same as its other sister groups, such as plants, have stem cells and stem cell niches. Previous studies showed the EVs in plants and marine cells. So, this study was set out to talk about algal extracellular vesicles. EVs play a major role in cell-to-cell communication to convey molecules, such as RNA/DNA, metabolites, proteins, and lipids within. The components of EVs depends on the origin of the primitive cells or tissues and the isolation method. Sufficient resources are needed to produce high-quality, stable, and compatible EVs as a drug or drug delivery system. Plant stem cells have great potential as a new controllable resource for the production of EVs. The EVs secreted from stem cells can easily be extracted from the cell culture medium and evaluated for medicinal uses. In this review, the aim is to introduce algae stem cells as well as EVs derived from algal cells. In the following, the production of the EVs¸ the properties of EVs extracted from these sources and their antimicrobial effects will be discussed.

Plant-Derived Extracellular Vesicles as Therapeutic Nanocarriers

Mammalian exosomes have emerged as a promising class of functional materials, inspiring novel applications as therapeutic vehicles and nutraceutical compounds. Despite this, their immunogenicity has been an issue of controversy within the scientific community. Although, exosome-like vesicles, innately formed in plants and inherent to eukaryotic cell-derived vesicles, could soothe most of the concerns, they are notably underutilized as therapeutic modalities. This review highlights all efforts published so far, on the use of plant-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) as therapeutic delivery systems. A summary of the physicochemical characteristics of plant-derived EVs is provided along with their main biological composition and in vitro/in vivo evidence of their therapeutic efficacy provided where available. Despite only a hand full of clinical trials being underway, concerning these vesicles, they arguably possess significant potential as nanodelivery systems of natural origin.

Extracellular Vesicles Derived From Citrus sinensis Modulate Inflammatory Genes and Tight Junctions in a Human Model of Intestinal Epithelium

It is widely acknowledged that mammalian exosomes (or extracellular vesicles), have a key role in intercellular communication, owing to the presence of various bioactive molecules such as lipids, proteins, and microRNAs within their inner compartment. Most recently, the discovery of extracellular vesicles isolated from edible plants (such as vegetables and fruits) and their similarity in terms of size and content with exosomes has opened new perspectives on possible intercellular communication and regulation of important biological processes in which these vesicles are involved. It is also well-known that a balanced diet rich of fruits and vegetables (i.e., the Mediterranean diet) can contribute to maintain a “healthy gut” by preserving the intestinal epithelial barrier integrity and avoid that inflammatory stimuli that can alter homeostasis. In our study, we optimized a method to isolate extracellular vesicles from the orange juice (Citrus sinensis) (CS-EVs), and we characterized their morphology and behavior when in contact with the intestinal epithelium. We showed that CS-EVs are stable in a simulated gastrointestinal environment and are absorbed by intestinal cells without toxic effects, as expected. Furthermore, we demonstrated that CS-EVs can alter the gene expression of several genes involved in inflammation (i.e., ICAM1 and HMOX-1) and tight junctions (i.e., OCLN, CLDN1, and MLCK), contributing to limit inflammatory stimuli and restore a functional barrier by increasing the tight junction OCLN protein. Therefore, our study emphasizes the relevant role of fruit-derived extracellular vesicles in modulating important biological processes and maintaining a healthy intestinal epithelium, ultimately promoting human health and well-being.

Dietary modulation of large extracellular vesicles: the good and the bad for human health

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) encompassing nanovesicles derived from the endosome system and generated by plasmatic membrane shedding are of increasing interest in view of their ability to sustain cell-to-cell communication and the possibility that they could be used as surrogate biomarkers of healthy and unhealthy trajectories. Nutritional strategies have been developed to preserve health, and the impact of these strategies on circulating EVs is arousing growing interest. Data available from published studies are now sufficient for a first integration to better understand the role of EVs in the relationship between diet and health. Thus, this review focuses on human intervention studies investigating the impact of diet or its components on circulating EVs. Because of analytical bias, only large EVs have been assessed so far. The analysis highlights that poor-quality diets with elevated fat and sugar content increase levels of circulating large EVs, and these can be partly counteracted by healthy food or some food micronutrients and bioactive compounds. However, knowledge of the content and the biological functions of these diet-induced EVs is still missing. It is important to address these aspects in new research in order to state if EVs are mediators of the effects of diet on health.

Development of nanoparticles derived from corn as mass producible bionanoparticles with anticancer activity

Recent studies showed that plant-derived nanoparticles (NPs) can be easily produced in high yields and have potential applications as therapeutic agents or delivery carriers for bioactive molecules. In this study, we selected corn as it is inexpensive to grow and mass-produced globally. Super sweet corn was homogenized in water to obtain corn juice, which was then centrifuged, filtered through a 0.45-μm-pore size syringe filter, and ultracentrifuged to obtain NPs derived from corn, or corn-derived NPs (cNPs). cNPs obtained were approximately 80 nm in diameter and negatively charged (- 17 mV). cNPs were taken up by various types of cells, including colon26 tumor cells and RAW264.7 macrophage-like cells, with selective reduction of the proliferation of colon26 cells. Moreover, cNPs induced tumor necrosis factor-α release from RAW264.7 cells. cNPs and RAW264.7 in combination significantly suppressed the proliferation of colon26/fluc cells. Daily intratumoral injections of cNPs significantly suppressed the growth of subcutaneous colon26 tumors in mice, with no significant body weight loss. These results indicate excellent anti-tumor activity of cNPs.

Therapeutic potential of garlic chive-derived vesicle-like nanoparticles in NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated inflammatory diseases

Aberrant activation of the nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat related (NLR) family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome drives the development of many complex inflammatory diseases, such as obesity, Alzheimer's disease, and atherosclerosis. However, no medications specifically targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome have become clinically available. Therefore, we aim to identify new inhibitors of the NLRP3 inflammasome in this study. Methods: Vesicle-like nanoparticles (VLNs) were extracted from garlic chives and other Allium vegetables and their effects on the NLRP3 inflammasome were evaluated in primary macrophages. After garlic chive-derived VLNs (GC-VLNs) were found to exhibit potent anti-NLRP3 inflammasome activity in cell culture, such function was further assessed in a murine acute liver injury disease model, as well as in diet-induced obesity. Finally, GC-VLNs were subjected to omics analysis to identify the active components with anti-NLRP3 inflammasome function. Results: GC-VLNs are membrane-enclosed nanoparticles containing lipids, proteins, and RNAs. They dose-dependently inhibit pathways downstream of NLRP3 inflammasome activation, including caspase-1 autocleavage, cytokine release, and pyroptotic cell death in primary macrophages. The inhibitory effects of GC-VLNs on the NLRP3 inflammasome are specific, considering their marginal impact on activation of other inflammasomes. Local administration of GC-VLNs in mice alleviates NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated inflammation in chemical-induced acute liver injury. When administered orally or intravenously, GC-VLNs accumulate in specific tissues and suppress activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and chronic inflammation in diet-induced obese mice. The phospholipid 1,2-dilinoleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DLPC) in GC-VLNs has been identified to inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Conclusions: Identification of GC-VLNs and their active component DLPC as potent inflammasome inhibitors provides new therapeutic candidates in the treatment of NLRP3 inflammasome-driven diseases.

Network pharmacology for systematic understanding of Schisandrin B reduces the epithelial cells injury of colitis through regulating pyroptosis by AMPK/Nrf2/NLRP3 inflammasome

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disease with increasing incidence and prevalence in many countries. The purpose of this study is to explore the function of Schisandrin B and its underlying molecular mechanisms in colitis.

In this study, mice with colitis were induced by giving 2.0% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS, MP) in the drinking water for seven days. Furthermore, TCMSP server and GEO DataSets were used to analyze the mechanism of Schisandrin B in colitis.

It was found that Schisandrin B presented colitis in mice model. At the same time, Schisandrin B not only reduced inflammation in vivo and vitro model of colitis, but also suppressed the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain, leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome in vivo and vitro model of colitis. In addition, Schisandrin B induced AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) / Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway in model of colitis, and regulated AMPK protein at 316 sites. The inhibition of AMPK reduced the anti-inflammation effects of Schisandrin B on NLRP3 inflammasome. Apart from that, Schisandrin B decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced mitochondrial damage and reduced epithelial cells damage of colitis through regulating pyroptosis.

Collectively, our novel findings for first time showed that, Schisandrin B suppressed NLRP3 inflammasome activation-mediated interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) level and pyroptosis in intestinal epithelial cells of colitis model through the activation of AMPK/Nrf2 dependent signaling-ROS-induced mitochondrial damage, which may be a significant therapeutic approach in the treatment of acute colitis.

'Green' nanotherapeutics from tea leaves for orally targeted prevention and alleviation of colon diseases

Although synthesized nanotherapeutics (NTs) are attractive for the oral treatment of colon diseases, their clinical translations are constrained by the unsatisfactory therapeutic outcomes, potential adverse effects, and high cost of mass production. Here, we report the development of tea leaf-derived natural NTs with desirable particle sizes (140.0 nm) and negative surface charge (-14.6 mV). These natural exosome-like NTs were found to contain large amounts of lipids, some functional proteins, and many bioactive small molecules. Specifically, galactose groups on the surface of NTs could mediate their specific internalization by macrophages via galactose receptor-mediated endocytosis. Moreover, these NTs were able to reduce the production of reactive oxygen species, inhibit the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and increase the amount of anti-inflammatory IL-10 secreted by macrophages. Orally administered NTs could efficiently inhibit the inflammatory bowel responses, restore disrupted colonic barriers and enhance the diversity and overall abundance of gut microbiota, thereby preventing or alleviating inflammatory bowel disease and colitis-associated colon cancer. The present study brings new insights to the facile application of a versatile and robust natural nanoplatform for the prevention and treatment of colon diseases.

Exosomes Engineering and Their Roles as Therapy Delivery Tools, Therapeutic Targets, and Biomarkers

Exosomes are becoming increasingly important therapeutic biomaterials for use in a variety of therapeutic applications due to their unique characteristics, especially due to the ineffectiveness and cytotoxicity of some existing therapies and synthetic therapeutic nanocarriers. They are highly promising as carriers of drugs, genes, and other therapeutic agents that can be incorporated into their interior or onto their surface through various modification techniques to improve their targeting abilities. In addition, they are biocompatible, safe, and stable. The review focuses on different types of exosomes and methods of their preparation, including the incorporation of different kinds of cargo, especially for drug delivery purposes. In particular, their importance and effectiveness as delivery vehicles of various therapeutic agents for a variety of therapeutic applications, including different diseases and disorders such as cancer treatment, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, are emphasized. Administration routes of exosomes into the body are also included. A novelty in the article is the emphasis on global companies that are already successfully developing and testing such therapeutic biomaterials, with a focus on the most influential ones. Moreover, a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of the various methods of exosome production is summarized for the first time.

Drug delivery to the inflamed intestinal mucosa - targeting technologies and human cell culture models for better therapies of IBD

Current treatment strategies for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) seek to alleviate the undesirable symptoms of the disorder. Despite the higher specificity of newer generation therapeutics, e.g. monoclonal antibodies, adverse effects still arise from their interference with non-specific systemic immune cascades. To circumvent such undesirable effects, both conventional and newer therapeutic options can benefit from various targeting strategies. Of course, both the development and the assessment of the efficiency of such targeted delivery systems necessitate the use of suitable in vivo and in vitro models representing relevant pathophysiological manifestations of the disorder. Accordingly, the current review seeks to provide a comprehensive discussion of the available preclinical models with emphasis on human in vitro models of IBD, along with their potentials and limitations. This is followed by an elaboration on the advancements in the field of biology- and nanotechnology-based targeted drug delivery systems and the potential rooms for improvement to facilitate their clinical translation.

Nanovesicles from Organic Agriculture-Derived Fruits and Vegetables: Characterization and Functional Antioxidant Content

Dietary consumption of fruits and vegetables is related to a risk reduction in a series of leading human diseases, probably due to the plants' antioxidant content. Plant-derived nanovesicles (PDNVs) have been recently receiving great attention regarding their natural ability to deliver several active biomolecules and antioxidants. To investigate the presence of active antioxidants in fruits, we preliminarily analyzed the differences between nanovesicles from either organic or conventional agriculture-derived fruits, at equal volumes, showing a higher yield of nanovesicles with a smaller size from organic agriculture-derived fruits as compared to conventional ones. PDNVs from organic agriculture also showed a higher antioxidant level compared to nanovesicles from conventional agriculture. Using the PDNVs from fruit mixes, we found comparable levels of Total Antioxidant Capacity, Ascorbic Acid, Catalase, Glutathione and Superoxide Dismutase 1. Finally, we exposed the nanovesicle mixes to either chemical or physical lytic treatments, with no evidence of effects on the number, size and antioxidant capacity of the treated nanovesicles, thus showing a marked resistance of PDNVs to external stimuli and a high capability to preserve their content. Our study provides for the first time a series of data supporting the use of plant-derived nanovesicles in human beings' daily supplementation, for both prevention and treatment of human diseases.

Identification of Tomato Infecting Viruses That Co-Isolate with Nanovesicles Using a Combined Proteomics and Electron-Microscopic Approach

Plant-derived nanovesicles (NVs) have attracted interest due to their anti-inflammatory, anticancer and antioxidative properties and their efficient uptake by human intestinal epithelial cells. Previously we showed that tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) fruit is one of the interesting plant resources from which NVs can be obtained at a high yield. In the course of the isolation of NVs from different batches of tomatoes, using the established differential ultracentrifugation or size-exclusion chromatography methods, we occasionally observed the co-isolation of viral particles. Density gradient ultracentrifugation (gUC), using sucrose or iodixanol gradient materials, turned out to be efficient in the separation of NVs from the viral particles. We applied cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for the morphological assessment and LC-MS/MS-based proteomics for the protein identification of the gradient fractions. Cryo-TEM showed that a low-density gUC fraction was enriched in membrane-enclosed NVs, while the high-density fractions were rich in rod-shaped objects. Mass spectrometry-based proteomic analysis identified capsid proteins of tomato brown rugose fruit virus, tomato mosaic virus and tomato mottle mosaic virus. In another batch of tomatoes, we isolated tomato spotted wilt virus, potato virus Y and southern tomato virus in the vesicle sample. Our results show the frequent co-isolation of plant viruses with NVs and the utility of the combination of cryo-TEM, SEM and proteomics in the detection of possible viral contamination.

The Study of Ginger-Derived Extracellular Vesicles as a Natural Nanoscale Drug Carrier and Their Intestinal Absorption in Rats

Extracellular vesicles have been widely used in drug delivery systems and clinical studies as a new natural nanoscale drug carrier. Most of these studies focused on the extracellular vesicles from animals, but few involved in the extracellular vesicles from edible plants. This study was the first to explore the potential and value of ginger-derived extracellular vesicles (GDEVs) as drug carrier by using the content ratio method and to further study their intestinal absorption in rats. In this experiment, GDEVs were extracted and purified by ultrahigh-speed centrifugation. GDEVs were saucer-like with a particle size of 70.09±19.24 nm and a zeta potential of -27.70±12.20 mV. In this experiment, high-performance liquid chromatography was used to explore the difference in gingerol content between GDEVs and ginger slices. Under the same mass, the contents of 6-gingerol (6G), 8-gingerol (8G), and 10-gingerol (10G) in GDEVs were 10.21-fold, 22.69-fold, and 32.36-fold of those in ginger slices, respectively. In this experiment, the absorption kinetics and absorption site of GDEVs were investigated using in situ single-pass intestinal perfusion method in rats. GDEVs could be absorbed by the small intestine in the concentration range of 15-60 mg/mL, and the absorption trend of different intestinal segments was duodenum > jejunum > ileum. These results indicated that GDEVs had good loading capacity and significant prospects as a carrier of the drug delivery system. At the same time, combining the oil-water partition coefficient (6G < 8G < 10G) of three gingerol compounds, we speculated that the loading capacity of GDEVs increased with the increase of the lipid solubility of the compounds. This study fully demonstrated the potential and value of ginger-derived extracellular vesicles as natural nanocarrier and provided an important reference for the further application of plant-derived extracellular vesicles in the drug delivery system.

Plant-derived exosome-like nanoparticles and their therapeutic activities

Nanotechnologies have been successfully applied to the treatment of various diseases. Plant-derived exosome-like nanoparticles (PENs) are expected to become effective therapeutic modalities for treating disease or in drug-delivery. PENs are minimally cytotoxic to healthy tissues, with which they show excellent biocompatibility, and are biased towards tumors by targeting specific tissues through special endocytosis mechanisms. Thus, the use of these PENs may expand the scope of drug therapies while reducing the off-target effects. In this review, we summarize the fundamental features and bioactivities of PENs extracted from the grape, grapefruit, ginger, lemon, and broccoli and discuss the applications of these particles as therapeutics and nanocarriers.

Extracellular vesicles-mediated interaction within intestinal microenvironment in inflammatory bowel disease

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EVs derived from different sources play modulatory functions in the intestine, especially interaction associated with microbiota.

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An EV-mediated interaction system was established to describe the possible mechanism of IBD pathogenesis and its cure.

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EVs-based treatments show great potential of clinical applications in IBD diagnosis and therapy.

Background

The intestinal tract is a complicated ecosystem with dynamic homeostasis via interaction of intestine and microbiota. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is chronic intestinal inflammation involving dysbiosis of intestinal microenvironment. Extracellular vesicles (EVs), as vital characteristics of cell–cell and cell-organism communication, contribute to homeostasis in intestine. Recently, EVs showed excellent potential for clinical applications in disease diagnoses and therapies.

Aim of Review

Our current review discusses the modulatory functions of EVs derived from different sources in intestine, especially their effects and applications in IBD clinical therapy. EV-mediated interaction systems between host intestine and microbiota were established to describe possible mechanisms of IBD pathogenesis and its cure.

Key Scientific Concepts of Review

EVs are excellent vehicles for delivering molecules containing genetic information to recipient cells. Multiple pieces of evidence have illustrated that EVs participate the interaction between host and microbiota in intestinal microenvironment. In inflammatory intestine with dysbiosis of microbiota, EVs as regulators target promoting immune response and microbial reconstruction. EVs-based immunotherapy could be a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of IBD in the near future.

Current Strategies and Potential Prospects of Nanomedicine-Mediated Therapy in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are highly debilitating. IBDs are associated with the imbalance of inflammatory mediators within the inflamed bowel. Conventional drugs for IBD treatment include anti-inflammatory medications and immune suppressants. However, they suffer from a lack of bioavailability and high dose-induced systemic side effects. Nanoparticle (NP)-derived therapy improves therapeutic efficacy and increases targeting specificity. Recent studies have shown that nanomedicines, based on bowel disease's pathophysiology, are a fast-growing field. NPs can prolong the circulation period and reduce side effects by improving drug encapsulation and targeted delivery. Here, this review summarizes various IBD therapies with a focus on NP-derived applications, whereas their challenges and future perspectives have also been discussed.

Plant-derived exosome-like nanoparticles: A concise review on its extraction methods, content, bioactivities, and potential as functional food ingredient

Plant-derived exosome-like nanoparticles (PDENs) are small vesicles released by multivesicular bodies mainly to communicate between cells and regulate immunity against pathogen attack. Current studies have reported that PDENs could modulate gene expression in a cross-kingdom fashion. Therefore, PDENs could be a potential future functional food ingredient as their cross-kingdom communication abilities were reported to exert multiple health benefits. Macrophage and other cells have been reported to absorb PDENs in a manner regulated by the membrane lipid and protein profile and the intactness of the PDENs lipid bilayer. PDENs could be extracted from plant materials by various techniques such as ultracentrifugation, immunoaffinity, size-based isolation, and precipitation, though each method has its pros and cons. PDENs mainly contain lipid, protein, and genetic materials, mainly micro RNAs, which could exert multiple health benefits and functionalities when consumed in sufficient amounts. However, most studies on the health functionalities of PDENs were conducted through in-vitro and in-vivo studies, and its potency to be used as a functional ingredient remains a question as PDENs are sensitive to storage and processing condition and requires costly extraction method. This concise review features various exosome extraction methods, contents of PDENs and their roles, the health functionalities of PDENs, and its potency as a functional food ingredient.

Exosomes in Intestinal Inflammation

Exosomes are 30–150 nm sized vesicles released by a variety of cells, and are found in most physiological compartments (feces, blood, urine, saliva, breast milk). They can contain different cargo, including nucleic acids, proteins and lipids. In Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), a distinct exosome profile can be detected in blood and fecal samples. In addition, circulating exosomes can carry targets on their surface for monoclonal antibodies used as IBD therapy. This review aims to understand the exosome profile in humans and other mammals, the cargo contained in them, the effect of exosomes on the gut, and the application of exosomes in IBD therapy.

Plant-Derived Extracellular Vesicles: Current Findings, Challenges, and Future Applications

In recent years, plant-derived extracellular vesicles (PDEVs) have gained the interest of many experts in fields such as microbiology and immunology, and research in this field has exponentially increased. These nano-sized particles have provided researchers with a number of interesting findings, making their application in human health and disease very promising. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments have shown that PDEVs can exhibit a multitude of effects, suggesting that these vesicles may have many potential future applications, including therapeutics and nano-delivery of compounds. While the preliminary results are promising, there are still some challenges to face, such as a lack of protocol standardization, as well as knowledge gaps that need to be filled. This review aims to discuss various aspects of PDEV knowledge, including their preliminary findings, challenges, and future uses, giving insight into the complexity of conducting research in this field.

Extracellular Vesicles from Plants: Current Knowledge and Open Questions

The scientific interest in the beneficial properties of natural substances has been recognized for decades, as well as the growing attention in extracellular vesicles (EVs) released by different organisms, in particular from animal cells. However, there is increasing interest in the isolation and biological and functional characterization of these lipoproteic structures in the plant kingdom. Similar to animal vesicles, these plant-derived extracellular vesicles (PDEVs) exhibit a complex content of small RNAs, proteins, lipids, and other metabolites. This sophisticated composition enables PDEVs to be therapeutically attractive. In this review, we report and discuss current knowledge on PDEVs in terms of isolation, characterization of their content, biological properties, and potential use as drug delivery systems. In conclusion, we outline controversial issues on which the scientific community shall focus the attention shortly.

Yak milk-derived exosomes alleviate lipopolysaccharide-induced intestinal inflammation by inhibiting PI3K/AKT/C3 pathway activation

Intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) are important parts of the mucosal barrier, whose function can be impaired upon various injury factors such as lipopolysaccharide. Although food-derived exosomes are preventable against intestinal barrier injuries, there have been few studies on the effect of yak milk-derived exosomes and the underlying mechanism that remains poorly understood. This study aimed to characterize the effect of exosomal proteins derived from yak and cow milk on the barrier function of IEC-6 treated with lipopolysaccharide and the relevant mechanism involved. Proteomics study revealed 392 differentially expressed proteins, with 58 higher expressed and 334 lower expressed in yak milk-derived exosomes than those in cow exosomes. Additionally, the top 20 proteins with a relatively consistent higher expression in yak milk exosomes than cow milk exosomes were identified. Protein CD46 was found to be a regulator for alleviating inflammatory injury of IEC-6. In vitro assay of the role of yak milk exosomes on survival of IEC-6 in inflammation by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay confirmed the effectiveness of yak milk exosomes to increase IEC-6 survival up to 18% for 12 h compared with cow milk exosomes (up to 12%), indicating a therapeutic effect of yak milk exosomes in the prevention of intestinal inflammation. Furthermore, yak and cow milk exosomes were shown to activate the PI3K/AKT/C3 signaling pathway, thus promoting IEC-6 survival. Our findings demonstrated an important relationship between yak and cow milk exosomes and intestinal inflammation, facilitating further understanding of the mechanisms of inflammation-driven epithelial homeostasis. Interestingly, compared with cow milk exosomes, yak milk exosomes activated the PI3K/AKT/C3 signaling pathway more to lower the incidence and severity of intestine inflammation, which might represent a potential innovative therapeutic option for intestinal inflammation.

Therapeutic implications of inflammasome in inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remains a persistent health problem with a global burden surging over 6.8 million cases currently. Clinical pathology of IBD is complicated; however, hyperactive inflammatory and immune responses in the gut is shown to be one of the persistent causes of the disease. Human gut inflammasome, the activator of innate immune system is believed to be a primary underlying cause for the pathology and is largely associated with the progression of IBD. To manage IBD, there is a need to fully understand the role of inflammasome activation in IBD. Since inflammasome potentially play a significant role in IBD, systemic modulation of inflammasome may provide an effective therapeutic and clinical approach to control IBD symptoms. In this review, we have focused on this association between IBD and gut inflammasome, and recent advances in the research and therapeutic strategies for IBD. We have discussed inflammasomes and their components, outcomes from the experimental animals and human studies, inflammasome inhibitors, and developments in the inflammasome-targeted therapies for IBD.

Are Dietary Extracellular Vesicles Bioavailable and Functional in Consuming Organisms?

It has been well established that diet influences the health status of the consuming organism. Recently, extracellular vesicles (EVs) present in dietary sources are proposed to be involved in cross-species and kingdom communication. As EVs contain a lipid bilayer and carry bioactive cargo of proteins and nucleic acids, they are proposed to survive harsh degrading conditions of the gut and enter systemic circulation. Following the bioavailability, several studies have supported the functional role of dietary EVs in various tissues of the consuming organism. Simultaneously, multiple studies have refuted the possibility that dietary EVs mediate cross-species communication and hence the topic is controversial. The feasibility of the concept remains under scrutiny primarily owing to the lack of significant in vivo evidence to complement the in vitro speculations. Concerns surrounding EV stability in the harsh degrading gut environment, lack of mechanism explaining intestinal uptake and bioavailability in systemic circulation have impeded the acceptance of their functional role. This chapter discusses the current evidences that support dietary EV-based cross species communication and enlists several issues that need to be addressed in this field.

Preliminary Results of CitraVes™ Effects on Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Waist Circumference in Healthy Subjects after 12 Weeks: A Pilot Open-Label Study

Appropriate monitoring and control of modifiable risk factors, such as the level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and other types of dyslipidemia, have an important role in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Recently, various nutraceuticals with lipid-lowering effects have gained attention. In addition to the plant-derived bioactive compounds, recent studies suggested that plant cells are able to release small lipoproteic structures named extracellular vesicles (EVs). The interaction between EVs and mammalian cells could lead to beneficial effects through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. The present study aimed to assess the safety of the new patented plant-based product citraVes™, containing extracellular vesicles (EVs) from Citrus limon (L.) Osbeck juice, and to investigate its ability to modulate different CV risk factors in healthy subjects. A cohort of 20 healthy volunteers was recruited in a prospective open-label study. All participants received the supplement in a spray-dried formulation at a stable dose of 1000 mg/day for 3 months. Anthropometric and hematobiochemical parameters were analyzed at the baseline and after the follow-up period of 1 and 3 months. We observed that the supplement has an effect on two key factors of cardiometabolic risk in healthy subjects. A significant change in waist circumference was found in women after 4 (85.4 [79.9, 91.0] cm, p < 0.005) and 12 (85.0 [80.0, 90.0] cm, p < 0.0005) weeks, when compared to the baseline value (87.6 [81.7, 93.6] cm). No difference was found in men (baseline: 100.3 [95.4, 105.2] cm; 4 weeks: 102.0 [95.7, 108.3] cm; 12 weeks: 100.0 [95.3, 104.7] cm). The level of LDL-C was significantly lower at 12 weeks versus 4 weeks (p = 0.0064). Our study evaluated, for the first time, the effects of a natural product containing plant-derived EVs on modifiable risk factors in healthy volunteers. The results support the use of EV extracts to manage cardiometabolic risk factors successfully.

Sulforaphane ameliorates lipid profile in rodents: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis

Sulforaphane (SFN), a naturally-occurring isothiocyanate enriched in cabbage and broccoli, has been provided as food supplements to improve weight management and reduce lipid levels. However, its effects on serum lipid profiles are contradictory. In this review, a meta-analysis and systematic review of SFN on lipid reduction and weight control is assessed with mice and rats fed on high-fat diet. The effects of SFN supplementation were evaluated by weighted mean difference (WMD) in body weight (BW), liver weight (LW) and also by its effect on serum lipids. A random-effects model was applied to estimate the overall summary effect. SFN reduced BW (WMD: − 2.76 g, 95% CI: − 4.19, − 1.34) and LW (WMD: − 0.93 g, 95% CI: − 1.63, − 0.23) significantly in our ten trials. Its effects on serum total cholesterol (TC) (WMD: − 15.62 mg/dL, 95% CI: − 24.07, − 7.18), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (WMD: − 8.35 mg/dL, 95% CI: − 15.47, − 1.24) and triglyceride (TG) (WMD: − 40.85 mg/dL, 95% CI: − 67.46, − 14.24) were significant except for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) component (WMD: 1.05 mg/dL, 95% CI: − 3.44, 5.54). However, species, disease model, duration, SFN dosage as well as route of administration did not explain the heterogeneity among studies. In summary, these findings provide new insights concerning preclinical strategies for treating diseases including obesity, diabetes, hypertension, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease as well as cardiovascular disease with SFN supplements.

Plant-Derived Nano and Microvesicles for Human Health and Therapeutic Potential in Nanomedicine

Plants produce different types of nano and micro-sized vesicles. Observed for the first time in the 60s, plant nano and microvesicles (PDVs) and their biological role have been inexplicably under investigated for a long time. Proteomic and metabolomic approaches revealed that PDVs carry numerous proteins with antifungal and antimicrobial activity, as well as bioactive metabolites with high pharmaceutical interest. PDVs have also been shown to be also involved in the intercellular transfer of small non-coding RNAs such as microRNAs, suggesting fascinating mechanisms of long-distance gene regulation and horizontal transfer of regulatory RNAs and inter-kingdom communications. High loading capacity, intrinsic biological activities, biocompatibility, and easy permeabilization in cell compartments make plant-derived vesicles excellent natural or bioengineered nanotools for biomedical applications. Growing evidence indicates that PDVs may exert anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anticancer activities in different in vitro and in vivo models. In addition, clinical trials are currently in progress to test the effectiveness of plant EVs in reducing insulin resistance and in preventing side effects of chemotherapy treatments. In this review, we concisely introduce PDVs, discuss shortly their most important biological and physiological roles in plants and provide clues on the use and the bioengineering of plant nano and microvesicles to develop innovative therapeutic tools in nanomedicine, able to encompass the current drawbacks in the delivery systems in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical technology. Finally, we predict that the advent of intense research efforts on PDVs may disclose new frontiers in plant biotechnology applied to nanomedicine.

Eating microRNAs: pharmacological opportunities for cross-kingdom regulation and implications in host gene and gut microbiota modulation

Cross-kingdom communication via non-coding RNAs is a recent discovery. Exogenous microRNAs (exog-miRNAs) mainly enter the host via the diet. Generally considered unstable in the gastrointestinal tract, some exogenous RNAs may resist these conditions, especially if transported in extracellular vesicles. They could then reach the intestines and more probably exert a regulatory effect. We give an overview of recent discoveries concerning dietary miRNAs, possible ways of enhancing their resistance to food processing and gut conditions, their transport in extracellular vesicles (animal- and plant-origin) and possible biological effects on recipient cells after ingestion. We critically focus on what we believe are the most relevant data for future pharmacological development of dietary miRNAs as therapeutic agents. Finally, we discuss the miRNA-mediated cross-kingdom regulation between diet, host and the gut microbiota. We conclude that, despite many obstacles and challenges, extracellular miRNAs are serious candidates to be targeted pharmacologically for development of new therapeutic agents.

Potential Mechanisms Linking Food-Derived MicroRNAs, Gut Microbiota and Intestinal Barrier Functions in the Context of Nutrition and Human Health

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding single-stranded RNA molecules from 18 to 24 nucleotides that are produced by prokaryote and eukaryote organisms, which play a crucial role in regulating gene expression through binding to their mRNA targets. MiRNAs have acquired special attention for their potential in cross kingdom communication, notably food-derived microRNAs (xenomiRs), which could have an impact on microorganism and mammal physiology. In this review, we mainly aim to deal with new perspectives on: (1) The mechanism by which food-derived xenomiRs (mainly dietary plant xenomiRs) could be incorporated into humans through diet, in a free form, associated with proteins or encapsulated in exosome-like nanoparticles. (2) The impact of dietary plant-derived miRNAs in modulating gut microbiota composition, which in turn, could regulate intestinal barrier permeability and therefore, affect dietary metabolite, postbiotics or food-derived miRNAs uptake efficiency. Individual gut microbiota signature/composition could be also involved in xenomiR uptake efficiency through several mechanisms such us increasing the bioavailability of exosome-like nanoparticles miRNAs. (3) Gut microbiota dysbiosis has been proposed to contribute to disease development by affecting gut epithelial barrier permeability. For his reason, the availability and uptake of dietary plant xenomiRs might depend, among other factors, on this microbiota-related permeability of the intestine. We hypothesize and critically review that xenomiRs-microbiota interaction, which has been scarcely explored yet, could contribute to explain, at least in part, the current disparity of evidences found dealing with dietary miRNA uptake and function in humans. Furthermore, dietary plant xenomiRs could be involved in the establishment of the multiple gut microenvironments, in which microorganism would adapt in order to optimize the resources and thrive in them. Additionally, a particular xenomiR could preferentially accumulate in a specific region of the gastrointestinal tract and participate in the selection and functions of specific gut microbial communities.

Engineering Exosome-Like Nanovesicles Derived from Asparagus cochinchinensis Can Inhibit the Proliferation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells with Better Safety Profile

BACKGROUND

Exosomes are a type of membrane vesicles secreted by living cells. Recent studies suggest exosome-like nanovesicles (ELNVs) from fruits and vegetables are involved in tissue renewal process and functional regulation against inflammatory diseases or cancers. However, there are few reports on ELNVs derived from medicinal plants.

METHODS

ELNVs derived from Asparagus cochinchinensis (Lour.) Merr. (ACNVs) were isolated and characterized. Cytotoxicity, antiproliferative and apoptosis-inducing capacity of ACNVs against hepatoma carcinoma cell were assessed. The endocytosis mechanism of ACNVs was evaluated on Hep G2 cells in the presence of different endocytosis inhibitors. In vivo distribution of ACNVs was detected in healthy and tumor-bearing mice after scavenger receptors (SRs) blockade. PEG engineering of ACNVs was achieved through optimizing the pharmacokinetic profiles. In vivo antitumor activity and toxicity were evaluated in Hep G2 cell xenograft model.

RESULTS

ACNVs were isolated and purified using a differential centrifugation method accompanied by sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation. The optimized ACNVs had an average size of about 119 nm and showed a typical cup-shaped nanostructure containing lipids, proteins, and RNAs. ACNVs were found to possess specific antitumor cell proliferation activity associated with an apoptosis-inducing pathway. ACNVs could be internalized into tumor cells mainly via phagocytosis, but they were quickly cleared once entering the blood. Blocking the SRs or PEGylation decoration prolonged the blood circulation time and increased the accumulation of ACNVs in tumor sites. In vivo antitumor results showed that PEGylated ACNVs could significantly inhibit tumor growth without side effects.

CONCLUSION

This study provides a promising functional nano platform derived from edible Asparagus cochinchinensis that can be used in antitumor therapy with negligible side effects.

Application of Emerging Plant-Derived Nanoparticles as a Novel Approach for Nano-Drug Delivery Systems

Nanotechnology has enabled the delivery of small molecular drugs packaged in nanosized vesicles to the target tissues. Plant-Derived Nanoparticles (PDNPs) are vesicles with natural origin and unique properties. These nanoparticles have several advantages over synthetic exosomes and liposomes. They provide bioavailability and biodistribution of therapeutic agents when delivered into different tissues. These nanoparticles can be modified according to the specificity of their functions in target tissues. When PDNPs are internalized, they can induce stem cells proliferation, reduce colitis injury, activate intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis pathways, and inhibit tumor growth and progression. These properties make them potential drug delivery systems in targeting diseased tissues, such as inflammatory regions and different cancers.

Panax ginseng-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Facilitate Anti-Senescence Effects in Human Skin Cells: An Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Way to Use Ginseng Substances

Ginseng is a traditional herbal medicine in eastern Asian countries. Most active constituents in ginseng are prepared via fermentation or organic acid pretreatment. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are released by most organisms from prokaryotes to eukaryotes and play central roles in intra- and inter-species communications. Plants produce EVs upon exposure to microbes; however, their direct functions and utility for human health are barely known, except for being proposed as delivery vehicles. In this study, we isolated EVs from ginseng roots (GrEVs) or the culture supernatants of ginseng cells (GcEVs) derived from Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer and investigated their biological effects on human skin cells. GrEV or GcEV treatments improved the replicative senescent or senescence-associated pigmented phenotypes of human dermal fibroblasts or ultraviolet B radiation-treated human melanocytes, respectively, by downregulating senescence-associated molecules and/or melanogenesis-related proteins. Based on comprehensive lipidomic analysis using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry, the lipidomic profile of GrEVs differed from that of the parental root extracts, showing significant increases in 70 of 188 identified lipid species and prominent increases in diacylglycerols, some phospholipids (phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, lysophosphatidylcholine), and sphingomyelin, revealing their unique vesicular properties. Therefore, our results imply that GEVs represent a novel type of bioactive and sustainable nanomaterials that can be applied to human tissues for improving tissue conditions and targeted delivery of active constituents.

Examination of Novel Immunomodulatory Effects of L-Sulforaphane

The dietary isothiocyanate L-sulforaphane (LSF), derived from cruciferous vegetables, is reported to have several beneficial biological properties, including anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. However, there is limited data on how LSF modulates these effects in human immune cells. The present study was designed to investigate the immunomodulatory effects of LSF (10 µM and 50 µM) on peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) populations and cytokine secretion in healthy adult volunteers (n = 14), in the presence or absence of bacterial (lipopolysaccharide) and viral (imiquimod) toll-like receptor (TLRs) stimulations. Here, we found that LSF reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, and chemokines monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 irrespective of TLR stimulations. This result was associated with LSF significantly reducing the proportion of natural killer (NK) cells and monocytes while increasing the proportions of dendritic cells (DCs), T cells and B cells. We found a novel effect of LSF in relation to reducing cluster of differentiation (CD) 14⁺ monocytes while simultaneously increasing monocyte-derived DCs (moDCs: lineage-Human Leukocyte Antigen-DR isotype (HLA-DR)⁺CD11b^low-high CD11c^high). LSF was also shown to induce a 3.9-fold increase in the antioxidant response element (ARE) activity in a human monocyte cell line (THP-1). Our results provide important insights into the immunomodulatory effects of LSF, showing in human PBMCs an ability to drive differentiation of monocytes towards an immature monocyte-derived dendritic cell phenotype with potentially important biological functions. These findings provide insights into the potential role of LSF as a novel immunomodulatory drug candidate and supports the need for further preclinical and phase I clinical studies.

Potential of Sulforaphane as a Natural Immune System Enhancer: A Review

Brassicaceae are an outstanding source of bioactive compounds such as ascorbic acid, polyphenols, essential minerals, isothiocyanates and their precursors, glucosinolates (GSL). Recently, GSL gained great attention because of the health promoting properties of their hydrolysis products: isothiocyanates. Among them, sulforaphane (SFN) became the most attractive one owing to its remarkable health-promoting properties. SFN may prevent different types of cancer and has the ability to improve hypertensive states, to prevent type 2 diabetes–induced cardiomyopathy, and to protect against gastric ulcer. SFN may also help in schizophrenia treatment, and recently it was proposed that SFN has potential to help those who struggle with obesity. The mechanism underlying the health-promoting effect of SFN relates to its indirect action at cellular level by inducing antioxidant and Phase II detoxifying enzymes through the activation of transcription nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like (Nrf2). The effect of SFN on immune response is generating scientific interest, because of its bioavailability, which is much higher than other phytochemicals, and its capacity to induce Nrf2 target genes. Clinical trials suggest that sulforaphane produces favorable results in cases where pharmaceutical products fail. This article provides a revision about the relationship between sulforaphane and immune response in different diseases. Special attention is given to clinical trials related with immune system disorders.

Ancient Evolutionary Origin and Properties of Universally Produced Natural Exosomes Contribute to Their Therapeutic Superiority Compared to Artificial Nanoparticles

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), such as exosomes, are newly recognized fundamental, universally produced natural nanoparticles of life that are seemingly involved in all biologic processes and clinical diseases. Due to their universal involvements, understanding the nature and also the potential therapeutic uses of these nanovesicles requires innovative experimental approaches in virtually every field. Of the EV group, exosome nanovesicles and larger companion micro vesicles can mediate completely new biologic and clinical processes dependent on the intercellular transfer of proteins and most importantly selected RNAs, particularly miRNAs between donor and targeted cells to elicit epigenetic alterations inducing functional cellular changes. These recipient acceptor cells are nearby (paracrine transfers) or far away after distribution via the circulation (endocrine transfers). The major properties of such vesicles seem to have been conserved over eons, suggesting that they may have ancient evolutionary origins arising perhaps even before cells in the primordial soup from which life evolved. Their potential ancient evolutionary attributes may be responsible for the ability of some modern-day exosomes to withstand unusually harsh conditions, perhaps due to unique membrane lipid compositions. This is exemplified by ability of the maternal milk exosomes to survive passing the neonatal acid/enzyme rich stomach. It is postulated that this resistance also applies to their durable presence in phagolysosomes, thus suggesting a unique intracellular release of their contained miRNAs. A major discussed issue is the generally poorly realized superiority of these naturally evolved nanovesicles for therapies when compared to human-engineered artificial nanoparticles, e.g., for the treatment of diseases like cancers.

Chronic Inflammatory Diseases, Anti-Inflammatory Agents and Their Delivery Nanosystems

Inflammatory diseases, whether caused by excessive stress on certain tissues/parts of the body or arising from infections accompanying autoimmune or secondary diseases, have become a problem, especially in the Western world today. Whether these are inflammations of visceral organs, joints, bones, or the like, they are always a physiological reaction of the body, which always tries to eradicate noxious agents and restore tissue homeostasis. Unfortunately, this often results in damage, often irreversible, to the affected tissues. Nevertheless, these inflammatory reactions of the body are the results of excessive stress, strain, and the generally unhealthy environment, in which the people of Western civilization live. The pathophysiology and pathobiochemistry of inflammatory/autoimmune processes are being studied in deep detail, and pharmaceutical companies are constantly developing new drugs that modulate/suppress inflammatory responses and endogenous pro-inflammatory agents. In addition to new specifically targeted drugs for a variety of pro-inflammatory agents, a strategy can be found for the use of older drugs, which are formulated into special nanodrug delivery systems with targeted distribution and often modified release. This contribution summarizes the current state of research and development of nanoformulated anti-inflammatory agents from both conventional drug classes and experimental drugs or dietary supplements used to alleviate inflammatory reactions.

Biomanufacturing of Tomato-Derived Nanovesicles

Micro- and nano-sized vesicles (MVs and NVs, respectively) from edible plant resources are gaining increasing interest as green, sustainable, and biocompatible materials for the development of next-generation delivery vectors. The isolation of vesicles from complex plant matrix is a significant challenge considering the trade-off between yield and purity. Here, we used differential ultracentrifugation (dUC) for the bulk production of MVs and NVs from tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) fruit and analyzed their physical and morphological characteristics and biocargo profiles. The protein and phospholipid cargo shared considerable similarities between MVs and NVs. Phosphatidic acid was the most abundant phospholipid identified in NVs and MVs. The bulk vesicle isolates were further purified using sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation (gUC) or size-exclusion chromatography (SEC). We showed that SEC using gravity column efficiently removed co-purifying matrix components including proteins and small molecular species. dUC/SEC yielded a high yield of purified vesicles in terms of number of particles (2.6 × 1015 particles) and protein quantities (6.9 ± 1.5 mg) per kilogram of tomato. dUC/gUC method separated two vesicle populations on the basis of buoyant density. Proteomics and in silico studies of the SEC-purified MVs and NVs support the presence of different intra- and extracellular vesicles with highly abundant lipoxygenase (LOX), ATPases, and heat shock proteins (HSPs), as well as a set of proteins that overlaps with that previously reported in tomato chromoplast.