The suitability of liposomes for the delivery of hydrophobic drugs – A case study with curcumin

Advanced Application of Polymer Nanocarriers in Delivery of Active Ingredients from Traditional Chinese Medicines

Active ingredients from Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs) have been a cornerstone of healthcare for millennia, offering a rich source of bioactive compounds with therapeutic potential. However, the clinical application of TCMs is often limited by challenges such as poor solubility, low bioavailability, and variable pharmacokinetics. To address these issues, the development of advanced polymer nanocarriers has emerged as a promising strategy for the delivery of TCMs. This review focuses on the introduction of common active ingredients from TCMs and the recent advancements in the design and application of polymer nanocarriers for enhancing the efficacy and safety of TCMs. We begin by discussing the unique properties of TCMs and the inherent challenges associated with their delivery. We then delve into the types of polymeric nanocarriers, including polymer micelles, polymer vesicles, polymer hydrogels, and polymer drug conjugates, highlighting their application in the delivery of active ingredients from TCMs. The main body of the review presents a comprehensive analysis of the state-of-the-art nanocarrier systems and introduces the impact of these nanocarriers on the solubility, stability, and bioavailability of TCM components. On the basis of this, we provide an outlook on the future directions of polymer nanocarriers in TCM delivery. This review underscores the transformative potential of polymer nanocarriers in revolutionizing TCM delivery, offering a pathway to harness the full therapeutic potential of TCMs while ensuring safety and efficacy in a modern medical context.

Recent Advancements in Metallic Au- and Ag-Based Chitosan Nanocomposite Derivatives for Enhanced Anticancer Drug Delivery

The rapid advancements in nanotechnology in the field of nanomedicine have the potential to significantly enhance therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment. There is considerable promise for enhancing the efficacy of cancer therapy through the manufacture of innovative nanocomposite materials. Metallic nanoparticles have been found to enhance the release of anticancer medications that are loaded onto them, resulting in a sustained release, hence reducing the dosage required for drug administration and preventing their buildup in healthy cells. The combination of nanotechnology with biocompatible materials offers new prospects for the development of advanced therapies that exhibit enhanced selectivity, reduced adverse effects, and improved patient outcomes. Chitosan (CS), a polysaccharide possessing distinct physicochemical properties, exhibits favorable attributes for controlled drug delivery due to its biocompatibility and biodegradability. Chitosan nanocomposites exhibit heightened stability, improved biocompatibility, and prolonged release characteristics for anticancer medicines. The incorporation of gold (Au) nanoparticles into the chitosan nanocomposite results in the manifestation of photothermal characteristics, whereas the inclusion of silver (Ag) nanoparticles boosts the antibacterial capabilities of the synthesized nanocomposite. The objective of this review is to investigate the recent progress in the utilization of Ag and Au nanoparticles, or a combination thereof, within a chitosan matrix or its modified derivatives for the purpose of anticancer drug delivery. The research findings for the potential of a chitosan nanocomposite to deliver various anticancer drugs, such as doxorubicin, 5-Fluroacil, curcumin, paclitaxel, and 6-mercaptopurine, were investigated. Moreover, various modifications carried out on the chitosan matrix phase and the nanocomposite surfaces to enhance targeting selectivity, loading efficiency, and pH sensitivity were highlighted. In addition, challenges and perspectives that could motivate further research related to the applications of chitosan nanocomposites in cancer therapy were summarized.

Curcumin - Bioavailability Enhancement by Prodrug Approach and Novel Formulations

Curcumin is a diverse natural pharmacological agent involved in various signal transduction mechanisms. Therapeutically, this potent molecule faces different challenges and issues related to low bioavailability due to its poor aqueous solubility, less permeability, faster elimination and clearance. Experts in synthetic chemistry and pharmaceuticals are continuously sparing their efforts to overcome these pharmacokinetic challenges by using different structural modification strategies and developing novel drug delivery systems. In this mini-review article, we are focusing on development of curcumin derivatives by different possible routes like conjugation with biomolecules, natural polymers, synthetic polymers, natural products, metal conjugates and co- administration with natural metabolic inhibitors. In addition to that, it was also focused on the preparation of modified formulations such as micelles, microemulsions, liposomes, complexes with phospholipids, micro and nanoemulsions, solid lipid nanoparticles, nano lipid carriers, biopolymer nanoparticles and microgels to improve the pharmacokinetic properties of the curcumin without altering its pharmacodynamics activity. This review helps to understand the problems associated with curcumin and different strategies to improve its pharmacokinetic profile.

Advances in Nanocarrier Systems for Overcoming Formulation Challenges of Curcumin: Current Insights

Curcumin, an organic phenolic molecule that is extracted from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa Linn, has undergone extensive evaluation for its diverse biological activities in both animals and humans. Despite its favorable characteristics, curcumin encounters various formulation challenges and stability issues that can be effectively addressed through the application of nanotechnology. Nano-based techniques specifically focused on enhancing solubility, bioavailability, and therapeutic efficacy while mitigating toxicity, have been explored for curcumin. This review systematically presents information on the improvement of curcumin's beneficial properties when incorporated, either individually or in conjunction with other drugs, into diverse nanosystems such as liposomes, nanoemulsions, polymeric micelles, dendrimers, polymeric nanoparticles, solid-lipid nanoparticles, and nanostructured lipid carriers. Additionally, the review examines ongoing clinical trials and recently granted patents, offering a thorough overview of the dynamic landscape in curcumin delivery. Researchers are currently exploring nanocarriers with crucial features such as surface modification, substantial loading capacity, biodegradability, compatibility, and autonomous targeting specificity and selectivity. Nevertheless, the utilization of nanocarriers for curcumin delivery is still in its initial phases, with regulatory approval pending and persistent safety concerns surrounding their use.

Light emitting diode (LED) irradiation of liposomes enhances drug encapsulation and delivery for improved cancer eradication

Liposomes are widely used as drug delivery nanoplatforms because of their versatility and biocompatibility; however, their ability to load certain drugs may be suboptimal. In this study, we generated liposomes using a combination of DSPE and DSPE-PEG-2 k lipids and loaded them with doxorubicin (DOX) and paclitaxel (PTX), to investigate the effects of light emitting diode (LED) irradiation on liposome structure and drug loading efficiency. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed that the surface of liposomes irradiated with blue or near-infrared LEDs (LsLipo) was rougher and more irregular than that of non-LED-irradiated liposomes (NsLipo). Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis showed that the hydrogen peak originating from the lipid head groups was lower in LsLipo than in NsLipo preparations, indicating that LED irradiation changed the chemical and physical properties of the liposome. Structural changes, such as reduced rigidity, induced by LED irradiation, increased the loading efficiency of DOX and PTX. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that LsLipo were more effective at inhibiting the growth of cancer cells than NsLipo. Our findings suggest that LED irradiation enhances the drug delivery efficacy of liposomes and offer new possibilities for improving drug delivery systems.

The application strategy of liposomes in organ targeting therapy

Liposomes-microscopic phospholipid bubbles with bilayered membrane structure-have been a focal point in drug delivery research for the past 30 years. Current liposomes possess a blend of biocompatibility, drug loading efficiency, prolonged circulation and targeted delivery. Tailored liposomes, varying in size, charge, lipid composition, and ratio, have been developed to address diseases in specific organs, thereby enhancing drug circulation, accumulation at lesion sites, intracellular delivery, and treatment efficacy for various organ-specific diseases. For further successful development of this field, this review summarized liposomal strategies for targeting different organs in series of major human diseases, including widely studied cardiovascular diseases, liver and spleen immune diseases, chronic or acute kidney injury, neurodegenerative diseases, and organ-specific tumors. It highlights recent advances of liposome-mediated therapeutic agent delivery for disease intervention and organ rehabilitation, offering practical guidelines for designing organ-targeted liposomes. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Lipid-Based Structures.

Liposomes characterization for market approval as pharmaceutical products: Analytical methods, guidelines and standardized protocols

Liposomes are nano-sized lipid-based vesicles widely studied for their drug delivery capabilities. Compared to standard carries they exhibit better properties such as improved site-targeting and drug release, protection of drugs from degradation and clearance, and lower toxic side effects. At present, scientific literature is rich of studies regarding liposomes-based systems, while 14 types of liposomal products have been authorized to the market by EMA and FDA and many others have been approved by national agencies. Although the interest in nanodevices and nanomedicine has steadily increased in the last two decades the development of documentation regulating and standardizing all the phases of their development and quality control still suffers from major inadequacy due to the intrinsic complexity of nano-systems characterization. Many generic documents (Type 1) discussing guidelines for the study of nano-systems (lipidic and not) have been proposed while there is a lack of robust and standardized methods (Type 2 documents). As a result, a widespread of different techniques, approaches and methodologies are being used, generating results of variable quality and hard to compare with each other. Additionally, such documents are often subject to updates and rewriting further complicating the topic. Within this context the aim of this work is focused on bridging the gap in liposome characterization: the most recent standardized methodologies suitable for liposomes characterization are here reported (with the corresponding Type 2 documents) and revised in a short and pragmatical way focused on providing the reader with a practical background of the state of the art. In particular, this paper will put the accent on the methodologies developed to evaluate the main critical quality attributes (CQAs) necessary for liposomes market approval.

Nanoparticle-based materials in anticancer drug delivery: Current and future prospects

The past decade has witnessed a breakthrough in novel strategies to treat cancer. One of the most common cancer treatment modalities is chemotherapy which involves administering anti-cancer drugs to the body. However, these drugs can lead to undesirable side effects on healthy cells. To overcome this challenge and improve cancer cell targeting, many novel nanocarriers have been developed to deliver drugs directly to the cancerous cells and minimize effects on the healthy tissues. The majority of the research studies conclude that using drugs encapsulated in nanocarriers is a much safer and more effective alternative than delivering the drug alone in its free form. This review provides a summary of the types of nanocarriers mainly studied for cancer drug delivery, namely: liposomes, polymeric micelles, dendrimers, magnetic nanoparticles, mesoporous nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes and quantum dots. In this review, the synthesis, applications, advantages, disadvantages, and previous studies of these nanomaterials are discussed in detail. Furthermore, the future opportunities and possible challenges of translating these materials into clinical applications are also reported.

Nanocomposite based on Gd2O3 nanoparticles and drug 5-fluorouracil as potential theranostic nano-cargo system

We have prepared silica matrix with hexagonal symmetry of pores (SBA-15) and loaded it with anticancer drug 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) to promote it as a drug delivery system. Gd2O3 nanoparticles were incorporated into the matrix to enhance nanosystems applicability as contrast agent for MRI, thus enabled this nanocomposite to be used as multifunctional nano-based therapeutic agent. Drug release profile was obtained by UV-VIS spectroscopy, and it indicates the prolongated release of 5-FU during the first hours and the total release after 5 h. The cytotoxicity tests using MTT-assay, fluorescent microscopy, bright-field microscopy, and flow cytometry were carried out using human glioma U87 MG cells and SK BR 3 cells. The nanocomposite with anticancer drug (Gd2O3/SBA-15/5FU) showed toxic behaviour towards studied cells, unlike nanocomposite without drug (Gd2O3/SBA-15) that was non-toxic. Our drug delivery system was designed to minimalize negative effect of Gd3+ ions at magnetic resonance imaging and drug 5-FU on healthy cells due to their encapsulation into biocompatible silica matrix, so the Gd3+ ions are more stable (in comparison to chelates), lower therapeutic dose of 5-FU is needed and its prolongated release from silica pores was confirmed. Very good T1 contrast in MR images was observed even at low concentrations, thus this nanosystem can be potentially used as contrast imaging agent.

Development of gelatin-coated nanoliposomes loaded with β-cyclodextrin/vitamin D3 inclusion complex for nutritional therapy

The aim of this study was to synthesize of β-cyclodextrin/Vitamin D₃ (βCD/VitD₃) inclusion complex and encapsulation of this complex with gelatin-coated nanoliposomes (NLPs). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the formation of βCD/VitD₃ inclusion complex. In the next step, different gelatin concentrations (1, 2, and 4 mg/mL) were used to surface coat the blank NLPs. The concentration of 2 mg/mL of gelatin was chosen as the optimal concentration for coating the complex-loaded NLPs by considering particle size, morphology, and zeta potential. The particle size and zeta potential of the coated complex-loaded NLPs were 117 ± 2.55 nm and 19.8 ± 1.25 mV, respectively. The images taken by transmission electron microscopy confirmed the formation of a biopolymer layer of gelatin around the NLPs' vesicles. The complex encapsulation efficiency inside the NLPs was 81.09%. The βCD/VitD₃ complex loaded NLPs and its coated form exhibited a controlled release profile in simulated gastrointestinal condition.

Intra-articular treatment of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis by injecting actively-loaded meloxicam liposomes with dual-functions of anti-inflammation and lubrication

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) osteoarthritis is a common osteochondral degenerative disease which can severely affect patient's mouth opening and mastication. Meloxicam (MLX), one of the most widely used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, is the main clinical therapy for the treatment of TMJ osteoarthritis. However, the clinical effect is greatly compromised because of its poor water solubility and high lipophilicity. In the present study, we developed an actively-loaded liposomal formulation, namely MLX-Ca(AC)₂Lipo, using meglumine to enhance aqueous solubility and divalent metal (Ca²⁺) solution to improve encapsulation efficiency. By the formation of the nano-bowl shaped MLX-Ca precipitates inside the liposomes, MLX-Ca(AC)₂Lipo successfully achieved an optimal encapsulation efficiency as high as 98.4% compared with previous passive loading method (60.6%). Additionally, MLX-Ca(AC)₂Lipo maintained stable, and the slow drug release not only prolonged the duration of drug efficacy but also improved bioavailability. It was shown in the in vitro and in vivo tests that MLX-Ca(AC)₂Lipo downregulated the synthesis of the inflammatory factors (such as prostaglandin-E2) and as a consequence reduced chondrocytes apoptosis and extracellular matrix degeneration. Furthermore, the intra-articular injection of MLX-Ca(AC)₂Lipo enhanced bioinspired lubrication of TMJ, protecting the cartilage from progressive wear. In summary, MLX-Ca(AC)₂Lipo with dual-functions of anti-inflammation and lubrication is a promising nanomedicine for the treatment of TMJ osteoarthritis by intra-articular injection.

Utility of Intravenous Curcumin Nanodelivery Systems for Improving In Vivo Pharmacokinetics and Anticancer Pharmacodynamics

Curcumin nanoformulations for intravenous injection have been developed to offset poor absorption, biotransformation, degradation, and excessive clearance associated with parenteral delivery. This review investigates (1) whether intravenous nanoformulations improve curcumin pharmacokinetics (PK) and (2) whether improved PK yields greater therapeutic efficacy. Standard PK parameters (measured maximum concentration [Cmax], area under the curve [AUC], distribution volume [Vd], and clearance [CL]) of intravenously administered free curcumin in mice and rats were sourced from literature and compared to curcumin formulated in nanoparticles, micelles, and liposomes. The studies that also featured analysis of pharmacodynamics (PD) in murine cancer models were used to determine whether improved PK of nanoencapsulated curcumin resulted in improved PD. The distribution and clearance of free and nanoformulated curcumin were very fast, typically accounting for >80% curcumin elimination from plasma within 60 min. Case-matched analysis demonstrated that curcumin nanoencapsulation generally improved curcumin PK in terms of measured Cmax (n = 27) and AUC (n = 33), and to a lesser extent Vd and CL. However, when the data were unpaired and clustered for comparative analysis, only 5 out of the 12 analyzed nanoformulations maintained a higher relative curcumin concentration in plasma over time compared to free curcumin. Quantitative analysis of the mean plasma concentration of free curcumin versus nanoformulated curcumin did not reveal an overall marked improvement in curcumin PK. No correlation was found between PK and PD, suggesting that augmentation of the systemic presence of curcumin does not necessarily lead to greater therapeutic efficacy.

Multifunctional PEGylated Niosomal Nanoparticle-Loaded Herbal Drugs as a Novel Nano-Radiosensitizer and Stimuli-Sensitive Nanocarrier for Synergistic Cancer Therapy

Nowadays, radiotherapy is one of the most effective treatments for breast cancer. In order to overcome the radioresistance of cancer cells, radio-sensitizing agents can be used combined with irradiation to increase the therapeutic efficiency. Curcumin can enhance the radiosensitivity of cancer cells and decrease their viability by the accumulation of these cells in the G2 phase. The encapsulation of curcumin in a nanoniosomal delivery system increases aqueous solubility and bioavailability, resulting in increased radio sensitivity. The present study aimed to enhance the radio-sensitizing effect of the curcumin-containing nanoniosome (Cur-Nio) when combined with irradiation. Thus, curcumin (0.5 mg ml⁻¹) was loaded on a PEGylated nanoniosome containing Tween 60, cholesterol, DOTAP, and 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-poly(ethylene glycol) (DSPE-PEG) (at ratios of 70:30:10:5, respectively) by the thin-film hydration method. The particle size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, and drug-release rate of formulated nanoniosomes were determined. In order to assess cytotoxicity and apoptosis, different doses of irradiation along with various concentrations of free curcumin and Cur-Nio (single or in combination with irradiation) were treated with breast cancer cells. The particle size and zeta potential of Cur-Nio were reported to be 117.5 nm and −15.1 mV, respectively. The entrapment efficiency (EE%) and loading capacities were 72.3% and 6.68%, respectively. The drug-release rate during 6 h was 65.9%. Cell survival in the presence of curcumin at doses of 1 and 3 Gy showed a significant reduction compared with cells irradiated at 48 h and 72 h (p < 0.000). Also, the rate of cytotoxicity and apoptosis was significantly higher in cells treated with the combination of curcumin-containing nanoniosomes and irradiation in comparison with those treated with free curcumin. These findings indicate that the efficacy of pre-treatment with Cur-Nio as a radiosensitizer during radiotherapy enhances irradiation-induced breast cancer cell apoptosis and is a useful strategy to increase the effectiveness of breast cancer therapy.

Improvement of curcumin loading into a nanoporous functionalized poor hydrolytic stable metal-organic framework for high anticancer activity against human gastric cancer AGS cells

Two low water-stable nanoporous Zn-based Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) with and without the NO₂-functional group were synthesized by the reflux method and used to encapsulate curcumin (CCM). The characterization and application of these Zn-based MOFs (DMOF-1 and DMOF-1-NO₂) have been studied by FT-IR, PXRD,¹H NMR, N₂ adsorption, SEM, UV-vis, and fluorescence microscopy methods. The amount of drug loading of DMOF-1 and DMOF-1-NO₂ is 22.4 and 28.3 wt%, respectively. The drug loading results were also investigated by the computational simulation method. These kinds of MOFs have poor stability against water. This instability was used as a key to solving the problem of the low solubility of CCM as a model of hydrophobic cancer drug in a water-based medium. The obtained results confirmed that these poor hydrolytic MOFs could improve the solubility of CCM and enhance cytotoxicity against cancer cells (AGS) in comparison with free CCM. These results can prepare a new opportunity to increase the anticancer activity of hydrophobic drugs.

Nano-Traditional Chinese Medicine: a promising strategy and its recent advances

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) has been applied to the prevention and treatment of numerous diseases and has an irreplaceable role of rehabilitation and health care. However, the application of TCM is...

Curcumin Modulates 1,2-dibehenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DBPC) Liposomes: Chitosan Oligosaccharide Lactate Influences Membrane Fluidity But Does Not Alter Phase Transition Temperature of DBPC Liposomes

1,2-dibehenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DBPC) is one of the important phospholipids found in cell membrane but not studied well. Importance of curcumin as a dietary supplement and for its medicinal properites is getting widely recoginsed. The present study for the first time explores the effect of curcumin on properties of DBPC liposomes by monitoring the fluorescence properties of curcumin. The phase transition temperature (Tm) of DBPC is assessed which confirms increase in curcumin concentration causes a slight drop in the Tm value. Chitosan is being applied for various drug delivery uses. The study establishes new insight on effect of chitosan oligosaccharide lactate on DBPC liposomes. It is found that in the absence of chitosan oligosaccharide lactate, curcumin partitions more strongly in the liquids crystalline phase than in the solid gel phase, however, the opposite result is obtained with the presence of chitosan oligosaccharide lactate which penetrates into the DBPC liposomes membranes at higher temperature, blocking thus the passage of curcumin into the lipid bilayer. However, addition of chitosan oligosaccharide lactate had no effect on the Tm. Fluorescence quenching study of curcumin establishes that the location of curcumin to be in the hydrophobic cavity of DBPC membrane.

Preclinical In Vitro Studies with 3D Spheroids to Evaluate Cu(DDC)2 Containing Liposomes for the Treatment of Neuroblastoma

Preclinical in vitro studies of drug candidates for anticancer therapy are generally conducted on well-established 2D cell models. Unfortunately, these models are unable to mimic the properties of in vivo tumors. However, in vitro 3D models (spheroids) have been proven to be superior in reflecting the tumor microenvironment. Diethyldithiocarbamate (DDC-) is the active metabolite of Disulfiram, an approved drug for alcoholism and repurposed for cancer treatment. DDC- binds copper in a molar ratio of 2:1 resulting in a water-insoluble Cu(DDC)2 complex exhibiting anticancer activities. Delivery of the Cu(DDC)2 complex using nanoparticulate carriers provides decisive advantages for a parental application. In this study, an injectable liposomal Cu(DDC)2 formulation was developed and the toxicity was compared with a 2D neuroblastoma and a 3D neuroblastoma cell model. Our results indicate that Cu(DDC)2 liposomes complied with the size requirements of nanoparticles for intravenous injection and demonstrated high drug to lipid ratios as well as colloidal stability upon storage. Furthermore, an efficient cytotoxic effect on neuroblastoma 2D cell cultures and a very promising and even more pronounced effect on 3D cell cultures in terms of neuroblastoma monoculture and neuroblastoma co-culture with primary cell lines was proven, highly encouraging the use of Cu(DDC)2 liposomes for anticancer therapy.

Preparation and photodynamic bactericidal effects of curcumin-β-cyclodextrin complex

To overcome the poor water solubility of curcumin, a curcumin-β-cyclodextrin (Cur-β-CD) complex was prepared as a novel photosensitizer. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to verify the formation of Cur-β-CD. Furthermore, the ROS generation capacity and photodynamic bactericidal effect were measured to confirm this Cur-β-CD complex kept photodynamic activity of curcumin. The result showed Cur-β-CD could effectively generate ROS upon blue-light irradiation. The plate count assay demonstrated Cur-β-CD complex possess desirable photodynamic antibacterial effect against food-borne pathogens including Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli. The cell morphology determined by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) showed Cur-β-CD could cause cell deformation, surface collapse and cell structure damage of the bacteria, resulting in the leakage of cytoplasmic; while agarose gel electrophoresis and SDS-PAGE further illustrated the inactivation mechanisms by Cur-β-CD involve bacterial DNA damage and protein degradation.

Targeted nanoformulation of C1 inhibits the growth of KB spheroids and cancer stem cell-enriched MCF-7 mammospheres

C1, a synthetic analog of curcumin, has been reported to show potent antiproliferative effects against a variety of cancer cells. Here, we report a strong anticancer activity of the folate receptor-targeted lipid nanoparticle formulation of C1 against cancer cells and cancer stem cells both in 2D culture and 3D spheroids. The size of the C1 encapsulated folic acid functionalized nanoliposomes (Lipos-C1) was determined to be 83 ± 17 nm. Lipos-C1 nanoparticles displayed sustained C1 release kinetics at both pH 7.4 and 5.5. The folate receptor (FR) targeted nanoliposomes were internalized into FR-positive KB cells via the folate receptor-mediated endocytosis process. Lipos-C1 killed KB cells much more efficiently than C1. Lipos-C1 depolymerized microtubules, generated ROS, caused DNA damage, and induced apoptosis in KB cells. Importantly, Lipos-C1 strongly inhibited the growth of the 3D KB spheroids than C1. Interestingly, Lipos-C1 also suppressed cancer stem cells (CSCs) enriched MCF-7 mammosphere growth by impeding breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) enrichment, growth, and proliferation. The results suggested that Lipos-C1 could be a promising nanoformulation for cancer chemotherapy.

A Novel Drug Delivery System: the Encapsulation of Naringenin in Metal-Organic Frameworks into Liposomes

Poorly water-soluble naringenin (NAR) was selected as a model drug and loaded into the porous MOFs for the construction of NAR@ZIF-8 inclusion complex. By film dispersion method, NAR@ZIF-8 was further encapsulated into liposomes to fabricate a novel drug delivery system. Liposomes and a novel drug delivery system were established. Subsequently, the lipid-drug ratio, phospholipid-cholesterol ratio, and hydration temperature were investigated using the Box-Behnken design based the single factor experiment. The prepared liposomes system showed spherical or quasi-spherical shape, uniform particle size distribution, and complete structure. More specifically, the average particle size was 113.2 ± 1.4 nm, and zeta potential was - 7.536 ± 0.264 mV. Moreover, the drug release behaviors of NAR, NAR@ZIF-8, and NAR@ZIF-8 liposomes were explored in vitro. Compared with free NAR and NAR@ZIF-8 which exhibited a burst drug release, NAR@ZIF-8 liposomes showed a more sustained release behavior with 79.86% drug release in 72 h. In vitro cytotoxicity experiments showed that, compared with free NAR and NAR@ZIF-8, NAR@ZIF-8 liposomes exhibited higher inhibition efficiency on lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells and gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells in a concentration-dependent manner.

Interaction of curcumin with diarachidonyl phosphatidyl choline (DAPC) liposomes: Chitosan protects DAPC liposomes without changing phase transition temperature but impacting membrane permeability

The developing public interest in traditional medicine, especially plants-based drug, has prompted extensive research on the potential of naturally existing compounds. Among these compounds, curcumin is currently one of the most studied substances. In this study, we elaborate the physical properties of diarachidonyl phosphatidyl choline (DAPC) liposome using fluorescence method, where curcumin at low concentration was used as a probe molecule. In the first place, the phase transition temperature of DAPC was determined by following the fluorescence intensity of curcumin as a function of temperature, along with evaluating the effect of concentration of curcumin in the presence or absence of chitosan oligosaccharide lactate as an additional protective layer. On the other hand, quenching reactions using CPB and KI as quenchers reflected the ease of entry of different concentrations of these quenchers to the curcumin located in the hydrophobic core of the liposome which give new insight about the lipophilicity and permeability of the DAPC membrane. Finally, the partition coefficient analysis was investigated. It was concluded that curcumin has a higher partition coefficient at a temperature above the phase transition temperature of DAPC liposomes where the liposome is in the fluid liquid crystalline phase. Modulation of liposomes properties in the presence of chitosan oligosaccharide lactate layer was for the first time investigated. Chitosan oligosaccharide lactate acts as protecting layer without changing the phase transition temperature, but it affects the membrane permeability depending on solid gel and liquid crystalline phase.

Unique flower-like Cur-metal complexes loaded liposomes for primary and metastatic breast cancer therapy

Mounting researches continue to support a favorable role for the drug metal complex against cancer progress and metastasis. However, pharmaceutical barriers were encountered when drug metal complexes needed further pre-clinical and clinical evaluations due to their poor aqueous solubility. In this research, liposomes loaded metal ion as nano-scaled reaction vehicles were used to carry out a synthesis reaction between metal ion and curcumin (Cur) to prepare Cur-metal drug liposomal formulations. The unique flower-like conformation of Cur-M liposomes was observed for the first time and dominated in the Cur-M liposomal formulations system by the cryo-transmission electron microscopy. Different metal ions behaved significant differences in formulations' appearance, release profile, cytotoxic effect against various cell lines, pharmacokinetic profiles, biodistribution and antitumor efficiency. Cur-M liposomes presented enhanced cellular uptake and ROS generation effects, thus augmenting the cytotoxicity of Cur. Superior performances of Cur-copper complexes liposomes were observed in improving Cur stability, promoting apoptosis, inhibiting the proliferation and angiogenesis, therefore enhancing therapeutic effect for primary and metastatic breast cancer. Overall, the current work highlights the potentially significant development value of Cur-M liposomes as an injectable agent for cancer treatment, even superior to the commercial agent Doxil.

In Vitro and In Vivo Comparison of Curcumin-Encapsulated Chitosan-Coated Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) Nanoparticles and Curcumin/Hydroxypropyl-β-Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complexes Administered Intranasally as Therapeutic Strategies for Alzheimer's Disease

Curcumin (CUR) has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that are beneficial to Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the poor solubility and high instability of CUR compromise its application greatly. In this study, CUR-encapsulated chitosan-coated poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles (CUR-CS-PLGA-NPs) and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin-encapsulated CUR complexes (CUR/HP-β-CD inclusion complexes) were developed and compared through intranasal administration. In vitro studies indicated that CUR in CUR/HP-β-CD inclusion complexes was stable under physiological conditions over 72 h with 95.41 ± 0.01% remaining, which was higher than 49.66 ± 3.91% remaining in CUR-CS-PLGA-NPs. Meanwhile, CUR/HP-β-CD inclusion complexes showed a higher cellular uptake level of CUR than CUR-CS-PLGA-NPs in SH-SY5Y cells. Both formulations could reduce CUR's cellular cytotoxicity and showed a comparable antioxidant effect. Both formulations displayed the anti-inflammatory effect at 20 μM CUR in BV-2 cells, which decreased TNF-α and IL-6 levels to approximately 70 and 40%, respectively, when compared to the positive control, respectively. In vivo pharmacokinetic studies indicated that after intranasal administration, the AUC values of CUR in the plasma and brain of the CUR/HP-β-CD inclusion complex group were 2.57-fold and 1.12-fold higher than those in the CUR-CS-PLGA-NP group at the same dose of 2 mg/kg, respectively. In conclusion, CUR/HP-β-CD inclusion complexes displayed better properties than CUR-CS-PLGA-NPs as a carrier for intranasal delivery of CUR for application in AD.

Analytical characterization of liposomes and other lipid nanoparticles for drug delivery

Lipid nanoparticles, especially liposomes and lipid/nucleic acid complexed nanoparticles have shown great success in the pharmaceutical industry. Their success is attributed to stable drug loading, extended pharmacokinetics, reduced off-target side effects, and enhanced delivery efficiency to disease targets with formidable blood-brain or plasma membrane barriers. Therefore, they offer promising formulation options for drugs limited by low therapeutic indexes in traditional dosage forms and current "undruggable" targets. Recent development of siRNA, antisense oligonucleotide, or the CRISPR complex-loaded lipid nanoparticles and liposomal vaccines also shed light on their potential in enabling versatile formulation platforms for new pharmaceutical modalities. Analytical characterization of these nanoparticles is critical to drug design, formulation development, understanding in vivo performance, as well as quality control. The multi-lipid excipients, unique core-bilayer structure, and nanoscale size all underscore their complicated critical quality attributes, including lipid species, drug encapsulation efficiency, nanoparticle characteristics, product stability, and drug release. To address these challenges and facilitate future applications of lipid nanoparticles in drug development, we summarize available analytical approaches for physicochemical characterizations of lipid nanoparticle-based pharmaceutical modalities. Furthermore, we compare advantages and challenges of different techniques, and highlight the promise of new strategies for automated high-throughput screening and future development.

Surface decoration of neohesperidin-loaded nanoliposome using chitosan and pectin for improving stability and controlled release

The aim of this study was to improve the physicochemical stability of neohesperidin (NH) using nanoliposomal encapsulation in association with surface decoration strategy employing chitosan (CH) and pectin (P). Different nanoliposomal systems, i.e. NH-loaded nanoliposome (NH-NL), CH-coated NH-NL (CH-NH-NL), and P-coated CH-NH-NL (P-CH-NH-NL) were characterized through DLS, HPLC, TEM, and FTIR. The results confirmed good encapsulation efficiency (>90%) and successful layer formation with nano-sized and spherical carrier. Both CH-NL and P-CH-NL exhibited better physicochemical stability than NL under storage, thermal, pH, ionic, UV, oxidative, and serum conditions. In vitro mucin adsorption study revealed that CH-NL (60%) was more effective in mucoadhesion followed by P-CH-NL (46%) and NL (41%). Furthermore, P-CH-NL showed better performance in NH retention under different food simulants compared to CH-NH-NL and NH-NL, in which the release was mainly governed by the diffusion process. Thus, the P-CH conjugated nanoliposome could be a promising nano-carrier for neohesperidin.

Construction a Long-Circulating Delivery System of Liposomal Curcumin by Coating Albumin

Although the bioavailability and stability of curcumin can be greatly improved by liposomes encapsulation, its application is still limited due to the short circulating time. In this present work, we aim to construct a long-circulating delivery system of liposomal curcumin (Cur-Lips) by coating bovine serum albumin (BSA), namely, BSA-coated liposomal curcumin (BSA-Cur-Lips). The effects of coating albumin on the physicochemical properties of Cur-Lips were investigated. It was found that BSA-Cur-Lips was more spherical, more homogeneous in size, and significantly larger than Cur-Lips. Combining sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), Coomassie bright blue staining, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis (XPS), we confirmed that albumin molecules were stably located on the surface of BSA-Cur-Lips. In addition, the impacts of the coating albumin on the Cur-Lips release and phagocytosis by mouse macrophages Raw264.7 in vitro were investigated. We found that no significant initial burst drug release effect was observed for both Cur-Lips and BSA-Cur-Lips and the presence of albumin can enhance the liposome structure stability and slow down the release of Cur. More importantly, the macrophage phagocytosis of Cur-Lips was significantly reduced after coating albumin. In conclusion, coating albumin is a promising approach for developing a long-circulating delivery system of liposomal curcumin, and its properties including low phagocytosis, slow drug release, enhanced stability, and nontoxicity give this system great prospects for practical use.

Liposomal Encapsulated Curcumin Effectively Attenuates Neuroinflammatory and Reactive Astrogliosis Reactions in Glia Cells and Organotypic Brain Slices

Introduction

The polyphenolic spice and food coloring ingredient curcumin has beneficial effects in a broad variety of inflammatory diseases. Amongst them, curcumin has been shown to attenuate microglia reaction and prevent from glial scar formation in spinal cord and brain injuries.

Methods

We developed a protocol for the efficient encapsulation of curcumin as a model for anti-inflammatory drugs yielding long-term stable, non-toxic liposomes with favorable physicochemical properties. Subsequently, we evaluate the effects of liposomal curcumin in experimental models for neuroinflammation and reactive astrogliosis.

Results

We could show that liposomal curcumin can efficiently reduce the reactivity of human microglia and astrocytes and preserve tissue integrity of murine organotypic cortex slices.

Discussion and Perspective

In perspective, we want to administer this curcumin formulation in brain implant coatings to prevent neuroinflammation and glial scar formation as foreign body responses of the brain towards implanted materials.

Pickering emulsions stabilized by colloidal gel particles complexed or conjugated with biopolymers to enhance bioaccessibility and cellular uptake of curcumin

The aim of this study was to investigate the fate of curcumin (CUR)-loaded Pickering emulsions with complex interfaces during in vitro gastrointestinal transit and test the efficacy of such emulsions on improving the bioaccessibility and cellular uptake of CUR. CUR-loaded Pickering emulsions tested were whey protein nanogel particle-stabilized Pickering emulsions (CUR-E_WPN) and emulsions displaying complex interfaces included 1) layer-by-layer dextran sulphate-coated nanogel-stabilized Pickering emulsions (CUR-DxS+E_WPN) and 2) protein+dextran-conjugated microgel-stabilized Pickering emulsions (CUR-E_WPDxM). The hypothesis was that the presence of complex interfacial material at the droplet surface would provide better protection to the droplets against physiological degradation, particularly under gastric conditions and thus, improve the delivery of CUR to Caco-2 intestinal cells. The emulsions were characterized using droplet sizing, apparent viscosity, confocal and cryo-scanning electron microscopy, zeta-potential, lipid digestion kinetics, bioaccessibility of CUR as well as cell viability and uptake by Caco-2 cells. Emulsion droplets with modified to complex interfacial composition (i.e. CUR-DxS+E_WPN and CUR-E_WPDxM) provided enhanced kinetic stability to the Pickering emulsion droplets against coalescence in the gastric regime as compared to droplets having unmodified interface (i.e. CUR-E_WPN), whereas droplet coalescence occurred in intestinal conditions irrespective of the initial interfacial materials. A similar rate and extent of free fatty acid release occurred in all the emulsions during intestinal digestion (p > 0.05), which correlated with the bioaccessibility of CUR. Striking, CUR-DxS+E_WPN and CUR-E_WPDxM significantly improved cellular CUR uptake as compared to CUR-E_WPN (p < 0.05). These results highlight a promising new strategy of designing gastric-stable Pickering emulsions with complex interfaces to improve the delivery of lipophilic bioactive compounds to the cells for the future design of functional foods.

Improving the Stability of Liposomal Curcumin by Adjusting the Inner Aqueous Chamber pH of Liposomes

Curcumin (CURC) is a hydrophobic molecule and its water solubility can be greatly improved by liposome encapsulation. However, investigations on the stability of pH-sensitive molecules incorporated into liposomal membranes are limited. In this study, CURC-loaded liposomes with varied internal pH values (pH 2.5, 5.0, or 7.4) were prepared and designated as CURC-LP (pH 2.5), CURC-LP (pH 5.0), and CURC-LP (pH 7.4). Physical properties including particle size, ζ-potential, morphology, entrapment efficiency, and physical stabilities of these CURC-LPs were assessed. In addition, the chemical stability of liposomal CURC to different external physiological environments and internal microenvironmental pH levels were investigated. We found that among these CURC-LPs, CURU-LP (pH 2.5) has the highest entrapment efficiency (73.7%), the best physical stabilities, and the slowest release rate in vitro. Liposomal CURC remains more stable in an acid external environment. In the physiological environment, the chemical stability of liposomal CURC is microenvironmental pH-dependent. In conclusion, we prove that the stability of liposomal CURC is external physiological environment- and internal microenvironmental pH-dependent. These findings suggest that creating an acidic microenvironment in the internal chamber of liposomes is beneficial to the stability of liposomal CURC, as well as for other pH-sensitive molecules.

Nanosystems as Vehicles for the Delivery of Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs)

Recently, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), also called host defence peptides (HDPs), are attracting great interest, as they are a highly viable alternative in the search of new approaches to the resistance presented by bacteria against antibiotics in infectious diseases. However, due to their nature, they present a series of disadvantages such as low bioavailability, easy degradability by proteases, or low solubility, among others, which limits their use as antimicrobial agents. For all these reasons, the use of vehicles for the delivery of AMPs, such as polymers, nanoparticles, micelles, carbon nanotubes, dendrimers, and other types of systems, allows the use of AMPs as a real alternative to treatment with antibiotics.