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Thalappil MA, Singh P, Carcereri de Prati A, Sahoo SK, Mariotto S, Butturini E. Essential oils and their nanoformulations for breast cancer therapy. Phytother Res 2024; 38:556-591. [PMID: 37919622 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.8054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Breast Cancer (BC) is the most prevalent type of cancer in the world. Current treatments include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy but often are associated with high toxicity to normal tissues, chemoresistance, and relapse. Thus, developing novel therapies which could combat these limitations is essential for effective treatment. In this context, phytochemicals are increasingly getting popular due to their safety profile, ability to efficiently target tumors, and circumvent limitations of existing treatments. Essential Oils (EOs) are mixtures of various phytochemicals which have shown potential anticancer activity in preclinical BC models. However, their clinical translation is limited by factors such as high volatility, low stability, and poor solubility. Nanotechnology has facilitated their encapsulation in a variety of nanostructures and proven to overcome these limitations. In this review, we have efficiently summarized the current knowledge on the anticancer effect of EOs and constituents in both in in vitro and in in vivo BC models. Further, we also provide a descriptive account on the potential of nanotechnology in enhancing the anti-BC activity of EOs and their constituents. The papers discussed in this review were selected using the keywords "antiproliferative Essential Oils in breast cancer," "anticancer activity of Essential Oil in breast cancer," and "cytotoxicity of Essential Oils in breast cancer" performed in PubMed and ScienceDirect databases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammed Ashiq Thalappil
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Biological Chemistry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Priya Singh
- Nanomedicine Laboratory, Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, India
| | - Alessandra Carcereri de Prati
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Biological Chemistry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | | | - Sofia Mariotto
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Biological Chemistry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Elena Butturini
- Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Biological Chemistry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
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2
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Tiboni M, Astolfi P, Verboni M, Benedetti S, Giorgini E, Notarstefano V, Vita F, Ranieri S, Duranti A, Lucarini S, Casettari L, Pisani M. The influence of mannose-based esters on the mesophase behaviour of lyotropic liquid crystalline nanosystems as drug delivery vectors. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2023; 232:113596. [PMID: 37918304 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2023.113596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Lyotropic Liquid Crystalline (LLC) nanoparticles represent an emerging class of smart, biocompatible, and biodegradable systems for the delivery of drugs. Among these, structures with complex 3D architectures such as cubosomes are of particular interest. These are non- lamellar assemblies having hydrophobic and hydrophilic portions able to carry drugs of different nature. They can further be modulated including suitable additives to control the release of the active payload, and to promote an active targeting. Starting from monoolein (GMO) cubic phase, different concentrations of mannose-based esters were added, and the eventual structural modifications were monitored to ascertain the effects of the presence of glycolipids. Moreover, the structural properties of these nanosystems loaded with Dexamethasone (DEX), a very well-known anti-inflammatory steroid, were also studied. Experiments were carried out by synchrotron Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS), Raman Microspectroscopy (RMS) and Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) measurements. The drug delivery potential (i.e. entrapment efficiency and release properties) of the obtained nanoparticles was evaluated. Finally, in vitro cytocompatibility and anti-inflammatory activity studies of the prepared formulations were carried out. Inclusion of mannose-based surfactants up to 10 mol% influenced the structural parameters of Im3m cubic phase and swollen cubic phases were obtained with the different glycolipids with lattice parameters significantly higher than GMO. A complete cytocompatibility and an increased DEX activity were observed, thus suggesting the possibility to use GMO/glycolipids nanoparticles to formulate innovative drug delivery systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Tiboni
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences - DISB, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Piazza del Rinascimento, 6, I-61029 Urbino, PU, Italy
| | - Paola Astolfi
- Department of Science and Engineering of Materials, Environment and Urban Planning - SIMAU, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche 12, I-60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Michele Verboni
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences - DISB, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Piazza del Rinascimento, 6, I-61029 Urbino, PU, Italy
| | - Serena Benedetti
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences - DISB, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Piazza del Rinascimento, 6, I-61029 Urbino, PU, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Giorgini
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences - DISVA, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche 12, I-60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Valentina Notarstefano
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences - DISVA, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche 12, I-60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Francesco Vita
- Department of Science and Engineering of Materials, Environment and Urban Planning - SIMAU, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche 12, I-60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Simone Ranieri
- Department of Science and Engineering of Materials, Environment and Urban Planning - SIMAU, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche 12, I-60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Andrea Duranti
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences - DISB, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Piazza del Rinascimento, 6, I-61029 Urbino, PU, Italy
| | - Simone Lucarini
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences - DISB, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Piazza del Rinascimento, 6, I-61029 Urbino, PU, Italy
| | - Luca Casettari
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences - DISB, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Piazza del Rinascimento, 6, I-61029 Urbino, PU, Italy
| | - Michela Pisani
- Department of Science and Engineering of Materials, Environment and Urban Planning - SIMAU, Polytechnic University of Marche, Via Brecce Bianche 12, I-60131 Ancona, Italy.
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Araújo-Silva H, Teixeira PV, Gomes AC, Lúcio M, Lopes CM. Lyotropic liquid crystalline 2D and 3D mesophases: Advanced materials for multifunctional anticancer nanosystems. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2023; 1878:189011. [PMID: 37923232 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2023.189011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Cancer remains a leading cause of mortality. Despite significant breakthroughs in conventional therapies, treatment is still far from ideal due to high toxicity in normal tissues and therapeutic inefficiency caused by short drug lifetime in the body and resistance mechanisms. Current research moves towards the development of multifunctional nanosystems for delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs, bioactives and/or radionuclides that can be combined with other therapeutic modalities, like gene therapy, or imaging to use in therapeutic screening and diagnosis. The preparation and characterization of Lyotropic Liquid Crystalline (LLC) mesophases self-assembled as 2D and 3D structures are addressed, with an emphasis on the unique properties of these nanoassemblies. A comprehensive review of LLC nanoassemblies is also presented, highlighting the most recent advances and their outstanding advantages as drug delivery systems, including tailoring strategies that can be used to overcome cancer challenges. Therapeutic agents loaded in LLC nanoassemblies offer qualitative and quantitative enhancements that are superior to conventional chemotherapy, particularly in terms of preferential accumulation at tumor sites and promoting enhanced cancer cell uptake, lowering tumor volume and weight, improving survival rates, and increasing the cytotoxicity of their loaded therapeutic agents. In terms of quantitative anticancer efficacy, loaded LLC nanoassemblies reduced the IC50 values from 1.4-fold against lung cancer cells to 125-fold against ovarian cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrique Araújo-Silva
- Centro de Biologia Molecular e Ambiental (CBMA), Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Patricia V Teixeira
- Centro de Física das Universidades do Minho e Porto (CF-UM-UP), Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Andreia C Gomes
- Centro de Biologia Molecular e Ambiental (CBMA), Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; Institute of Science and Innovation for Sustainability (IB-S), University of Minho, Campus of Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Marlene Lúcio
- Centro de Biologia Molecular e Ambiental (CBMA), Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; Centro de Física das Universidades do Minho e Porto (CF-UM-UP), Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal.
| | - Carla M Lopes
- Instituto de Investigação, Inovação e Desenvolvimento (FP-I3ID), Biomedical and Health Sciences Research Unit (FP-BHS), Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Fernando Pessoa, 4200-150 Porto, Portugal; Associate Laboratory i4HB - Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; UCIBIO - Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, MEDTECH, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology, Department of Drug Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
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4
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Progress and challenges of lyotropic liquid crystalline nanoparticles for innovative therapies. Int J Pharm 2022; 628:122299. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2022.122299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Goldmünz E, Aserin A, Garti N. The Effect of the Structural Transition within a Direct Hexagonal (HI) Mesophase on the Internal Lipid Mobility. J Mol Liq 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molliq.2022.120742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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6
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Notarstefano V, Pisani M, Bramucci M, Quassinti L, Maggi F, Vaccari L, Parlapiano M, Giorgini E, Astolfi P. A vibrational in vitro approach to evaluate the potential of monoolein nanoparticles as isofuranodiene carrier in MDA-MB 231 breast cancer cell line: New insights from Infrared and Raman microspectroscopies. SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA. PART A, MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY 2022; 269:120735. [PMID: 34923374 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2021.120735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Isofuranodiene (IFD) is a sesquiterpene occurring in several plant species, which proved to have multiple anticancer activities. IFD has a lipophilic nature and, hence, a very low water solubility and a poor bioavailability; moreover, it is not stable, undergoing the "Cope rearrangement" to the less active curzerene. The use of appropriate delivery systems can thus be considered as a valid tool to enhance IFD bioavailability, solubility, stability and at the same time also to improve its intracellular uptake and pharmacological activity. Within this frame, monoolein (GMO) nanoparticles loaded with IFD were prepared and their enhanced anticancer activity, compared to pristine IFD, was assessed. In this study, for the first time, an in vitro Fourier Transform Infrared and Raman Microspectroscopy approaches were exploited to evaluate the effects of IFD, alone and loaded in GMO nanoparticles, on MDA-MB 231 breast cancer cell line. The anti-cancer effects of IFD were evidenced by both the spectroscopic techniques and discriminated from the GMO-induced changes in the culture environment; moreover, a synergistic effect of IFD and GMO administration can be envisaged by the experimental results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Notarstefano
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, I-60131 Ancona, Italy.
| | - Michela Pisani
- Department of Materials, Environmental Sciences and Urban Planning, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, I-60131 Ancona, Italy.
| | - Massimo Bramucci
- School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, I-62032 Camerino, Italy.
| | - Luana Quassinti
- School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, I-62032 Camerino, Italy.
| | - Filippo Maggi
- School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, I-62032 Camerino, Italy.
| | - Lisa Vaccari
- Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, SISSI Beamline, s.s. 14 km 163,500 in Area Science Park, I-34149 Basovizza, Trieste, Italy.
| | - Marco Parlapiano
- Department of Materials, Environmental Sciences and Urban Planning, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, I-60131 Ancona, Italy.
| | - Elisabetta Giorgini
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, I-60131 Ancona, Italy.
| | - Paola Astolfi
- Department of Materials, Environmental Sciences and Urban Planning, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, I-60131 Ancona, Italy.
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7
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Tan C, Hosseini SF, Jafari SM. Cubosomes and Hexosomes as Novel Nanocarriers for Bioactive Compounds. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2022; 70:1423-1437. [PMID: 35089018 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.1c06747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Cubosomes and hexosomes are nanostructured liquid crystalline particles, known as biocompatible nanocarriers for drug delivery. In recent years, there has been good interest in using cubosomes and hexosomes for the delivery of bioactive compounds in functional foods. These systems feature thermodynamic stability, encapsulate both hydrophobic and hydrophilic substances, and have a high tolerance to environmental stresses and potential for controlled release. This review outlines the recent advances in cubosomes and hexosomes in the food industry, focusing on their structure, composition, formation mechanisms, and factors influencing phase transformation between cubosomes and hexosomes. The potential applications especially for the bioactive delivery are presented. The integration of cubosomes and hexosomes with other emerging encapsulation technologies such as surface coating, gelation, and incorporation of polymers are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Tan
- China-Canada Joint Lab of Food Nutrition and Health (Beijing), School of Food and Health, Beijing Engineering and Technology Research Center of Food Additives, Beijing Technology and Business University (BTBU), Beijing 100048, China
| | - Seyed Fakhreddin Hosseini
- Department of Seafood Processing, Faculty of Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box 46414-356, Noor 193954697, Iran
| | - Seid Mahdi Jafari
- Faculty of Food Science and Technology, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan 4913815739, Iran
- Nutrition and Bromatology Group, Department of Analytical Chemistry and Food Science, Faculty of Science, Universidade de Vigo, E-32004 Ourense, Spain
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8
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Astolfi P, Giorgini E, Perinelli DR, Vita F, Adamo FC, Logrippo S, Parlapiano M, Bonacucina G, Pucciarelli S, Francescangeli O, Vaccari L, Pisani M. Cubic and Hexagonal Mesophases for Protein Encapsulation: Structural Effects of Insulin Confinement. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:10166-10176. [PMID: 34369787 PMCID: PMC8397388 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c01587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Monoolein-based cubic and hexagonal mesophases were investigated as matrices for insulin loading, at low pH, as a function of temperature and in the presence of increasing amounts of oleic acid, as a structural stabilizer for the hexagonal phase. Synchrotron small angle X-ray diffraction, rheological measurements, and attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to study the effects of insulin loading on the lipid mesophases and of the effect of protein confinement in the 2D- and 3D-lipid matrix water channels on its stability and unfolding behavior. We found that insulin encapsulation has only little effects both on the mesophase structures and on the viscoelastic properties of lipid systems, whereas protein confinement affects the response of the secondary structure of insulin to thermal changes in a different manner according to the specific mesophase: in the cubic structure, the unfolding toward an unordered structure is favored, while the prevalence of parallel β-sheets, and nuclei for fibril formation, is observed in hexagonal structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Astolfi
- Dipartimento
SIMAU, Università Politecnica delle
Marche, via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Giorgini
- Dipartimento
DISVA, Università Politecnica delle
Marche, via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Diego Romano Perinelli
- Scuola
di Scienze del Farmaco e dei Prodotti della Salute, Università di Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 62032 Camerino, Macerata, Italy
| | - Francesco Vita
- Dipartimento
SIMAU, Università Politecnica delle
Marche, via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Corrado Adamo
- Dipartimento
SIMAU, Università Politecnica delle
Marche, via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Serena Logrippo
- Dipartimento
SIMAU, Università Politecnica delle
Marche, via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Marco Parlapiano
- Dipartimento
SIMAU, Università Politecnica delle
Marche, via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Giulia Bonacucina
- Scuola
di Scienze del Farmaco e dei Prodotti della Salute, Università di Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 62032 Camerino, Macerata, Italy
| | - Stefania Pucciarelli
- Scuola
di Bioscienze e Medicina Veterinaria, Università
di Camerino, Via Gentile
III da Varano, 62032 Camerino, Macerata, Italy
| | - Oriano Francescangeli
- Dipartimento
SIMAU, Università Politecnica delle
Marche, via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Lisa Vaccari
- Elettra-Sincrotrone
Trieste S.C.p.A., S.S. 14—km
163.5, 34149 Basovizza, Trieste, Italy
| | - Michela Pisani
- Dipartimento
SIMAU, Università Politecnica delle
Marche, via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy
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Astolfi P, Pisani M, Giorgini E, Rossi B, Damin A, Vita F, Francescangeli O, Luciani L, Galassi R. Synchrotron Characterization of Hexagonal and Cubic Lipidic Phases Loaded with Azolate/Phosphane Gold(I) Compounds: A New Approach to the Uploading of Gold(I)-Based Drugs. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2020; 10:E1851. [PMID: 32947840 PMCID: PMC7558674 DOI: 10.3390/nano10091851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Gold(I) phosphane compounds have recently attracted a renewed interest as potential new protagonists in cancer therapy. A class of phosphane gold(I) complexes containing azolate ligands has been successfully tested against several cancer cell lines and, in particular, against basal-like breast (BLB) cancer, a form characterized by strongly severe diagnosis and short life lapse after classic chemotherapy. Even though the anticancer activity of gold(I) phosphane compounds is thoroughly ascertained, no study has been devoted to the possibility of their delivery in nanovectors. Herein, nonlamellar lyotropic liquid crystalline lipid nanosystems, a promising class of smart materials, have been used to encapsulate gold(I) azolate/phosphane complexes. In particular, ((triphenylphosphine)-gold(I)-(4,5-dichloroimidazolyl-1H-1yl)) (C-I) and ((triphenylphosphine)-gold(I)-(4,5-dicyanoimidazolyl-1H-1yl)) (C-II) have been encapsulated in three different lipid matrices: monoolein (GMO), phytantriol (PHYT) and dioleoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE). An integrated experimental approach involving X-ray diffraction and UV resonant Raman (UVRR) spectroscopy, based on synchrotron light and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, has been employed to establish the effects of drug encapsulation on the structure and phase behavior of the host mesophases. The results indicate that gold(I) complexes C-I and C-II are successfully encapsulated in the three lipid matrices as evidenced by the drug-induced phase transitions or by the changes in the mesophase lattice parameters observed in X-ray diffraction experiments and by the spectral changes occurring in UV resonant Raman spectra upon loading the lipid matrices with C-I and C-II.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Astolfi
- Dipartimento SIMAU, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, I-60131 Ancona, Italy; (P.A.); (F.V.); (O.F.)
| | - Michela Pisani
- Dipartimento SIMAU, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, I-60131 Ancona, Italy; (P.A.); (F.V.); (O.F.)
| | - Elisabetta Giorgini
- Dipartimento DiSVA, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, I-60131 Ancona, Italy;
| | - Barbara Rossi
- Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A., S.S. 14-km 163.5, Basovizza, I-34149 Trieste, Italy;
| | - Alessandro Damin
- Department of Chemistry, NIS Centre and INSTM Reference Centre University of Turin, Via G. Quarello 15, I-10135 Turin, Italy;
| | - Francesco Vita
- Dipartimento SIMAU, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, I-60131 Ancona, Italy; (P.A.); (F.V.); (O.F.)
| | - Oriano Francescangeli
- Dipartimento SIMAU, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Via Brecce Bianche, I-60131 Ancona, Italy; (P.A.); (F.V.); (O.F.)
| | - Lorenzo Luciani
- Scuola di Scienze e Tecnologie, Divisione Chimica, Università di Camerino, I-62032 Via Sant’Agostino 1, Italy; (L.L.); (R.G.)
| | - Rossana Galassi
- Scuola di Scienze e Tecnologie, Divisione Chimica, Università di Camerino, I-62032 Via Sant’Agostino 1, Italy; (L.L.); (R.G.)
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10
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Vita F, Adamo FC, Pisani M, Francescangeli O. Nanostructure of Unconventional Liquid Crystals Investigated by Synchrotron Radiation. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2020; 10:E1679. [PMID: 32859117 PMCID: PMC7558469 DOI: 10.3390/nano10091679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The macroscopic properties of novel liquid crystal (LC) systems-LCs with unconventional molecular structure as well as conventional LCs in unconventional geometries-directly descend from their mesoscopic structural organization. While X-ray diffraction (XRD) is an obvious choice to investigate their nanoscale structure, conventional diffractometry is often hampered by experimental difficulties: the low scattering power and short-range positional order of the materials, resulting in weak and diffuse diffraction features; the need to perform measurements in challenging conditions, e.g., under magnetic and/or electric fields, on thin films, or at high temperatures; and the necessity to probe micron-sized volumes to tell the local structural properties from their macroscopic average. Synchrotron XRD allows these problems to be circumvented thanks to the superior diffraction capabilities (brilliance, q-range, energy and space resolution) and advanced sample environment available at synchrotron beamlines. Here, we highlight the potentiality of synchrotron XRD in the field of LCs by reviewing a selection of experiments on three unconventional LC systems: the potentially biaxial and polar nematic phase of bent-core mesogens; the very high-temperature nematic phase of all-aromatic LCs; and polymer-dispersed liquid crystals. In all these cases, synchrotron XRD unveils subtle nanostructural features that are reflected into macroscopic properties of great interest from both fundamental and technological points of view.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Oriano Francescangeli
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Ingegneria della Materia, dell’Ambiente ed Urbanistica, Università Politecnica delle Marche, via Brecce Bianche, 60131 Ancona, Italy; (F.V.); (F.C.A.); (M.P.)
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11
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In Vitro Scolicidal Activity of the Sesquiterpenes Isofuranodiene, α-Bisabolol and Farnesol on Echinococcus granulosus Protoscoleces. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25163593. [PMID: 32784679 PMCID: PMC7464821 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25163593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Cystic echinococcosis (CE) remains an important challenge both in humans and animals. There is no safe and suitable remedy for CE, so the discovery of new compounds with promising scolicidal effects, particularly from herbal sources, is of great importance for therapeutic uses in the treatment and prevention of CE reappearance. Sesquiterpenes are C15 organic compounds made up of three isoprene units and mostly occurring as fragrant components of essential oils. They are of economic importance for the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry, and recently attracted the attention of the scientific community for their remarkable parasiticidal properties. In the present study, we have focused on three known sesquiterpenes, isofuranodiene (IFD), α-bisabolol (BSB), and farnesol (FOH), as important phytoconstituents of the essential oils of wild celery (Smyrnium olusatrum), chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), and acacia farnese (Vachellia farnesiana), respectively. Protoscoleces were recovered from fertile hydatid cysts and were exposed to different concentrations of the three tested compounds for different exposure times. The viability of protoscoleces was confirmed by 0.1% eosin staining. Results of scolicidal activity evaluations showed that IFD possessed the best effect against Echinococcus granulosus protoscoleces (LC50 and LC90 values of 8.87 and 25.48 µg/mL, respectively), followed by BSB (LC50 of 103.2 µg/mL) and FOH (LC50 of 113.68 µg/mL). The overall toxicity of IFD differed significantly from those of FOH and BSB, while there was no significant difference in toxicity between the latter compounds (p > 0.05). The present study showed that IFD seems to be a promising scolicidal agent and can be further tested to become a candidate for CE treatment.
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