Modified β-cyclodextrins: Rosmarinic acid inclusion complexes as functional food ingredients show improved operations (solubility, stability and antioxidant activity)

Optimizing Antitumor Effect of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer via Rosmarinic Acid-β-Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complex

Background: Rosmarinic acid (ROS) has gained notable attention for its anticancer potential; however, its limited aqueous solubility hinders its effective delivery and application in pharmaceutical formulations. Methods: To overcome this limitation, an inclusion complex of ROS with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) was prepared using the recrystallization method. The resultant ROS-β-CD complex was comprehensively characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results: The ROS-β-CD complex showed a significant improvement in the solubility and dissolution profile of ROS, underscoring its potential for enhanced bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy in pharmaceutical applications. In vitro assays were performed to assess the effects on cell viability, proliferation, apoptotic pathways, and 3D spheroid tumor models. Conclusions: The results demonstrated that ROS-β-CD exhibited superior anticancer properties compared to free ROS, effectively reducing the viability and proliferation of the MD-MBA-231 cell line and inducing apoptosis. This research signifies a substantial advancement in developing therapeutic strategies for TNBC, leveraging the distinct properties of the ROS-β-CD inclusion complex.

Antioxidant-Enhanced Alginate Beads for Stabilizing Rapeseed Oil: Utilizing Extracts from Post-Distillation Waste Residues of Rosemary

An eco-friendly extraction process of polyphenols from conventional dried rosemary tissues and post-distillation waste residues was applied using β-cyclodextrin as a co-solvent. The aqueous extracts were characterized by measuring the total phenolic content, and their phenolic compounds were identified and quantified by LC-MS. Sodium alginate solutions (2% w/w) with/without incorporation of rosemary aqueous extracts were prepared and used for the preparation of O/W emulsions containing 20% rapeseed oil and an 80% water phase. Hydrogel beads were then stored at 20 °C for 28 days. The quality of encapsulated oil during storage was evaluated by measurements of the peroxide value, p-anisidine value, free fatty acids, total oxidation value, and fatty acid composition, whilst the aqueous phase of the beads was analyzed for its total extractable phenolic content (TEPC). The experimental findings indicate that the incorporation of aqueous extracts from post-distillation rosemary residues in emulsion-filled hydrogel beads resulted in the lowest level of oxidation products in the encapsulated rapeseed oil (PV = 10.61 ± 0.02 meq/Kg oil, p-AnV = 4.41 ± 0.09, and FFA = 0.14 ± 0.00, expressed as % oleic acid content), indicating an acceptable oil quality until the end of the storage period.

Construction of a layer-by-layer self-assembled rosemarinic acid delivery system on the surface of CFRPEEK implants for enhanced anti-inflammatory and osseointegration activities

Carbon fiber-reinforced polyether ether ketone (CFRPEEK) implants have attracted widespread attention in the field of clinical bone defect repair. However, the surface bioinertness confines the application of CFRPEEK implants. Inspired by the study of rosmarinic acid (RA)-promoted osteogenic differentiation, a self-assembly surface modification method based on electrostatic interactions, involving deposition of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose/chitosan and rosmarinic acid layer by layer on the surface of poly-L-lysine modified hydroxy CFRPEEK (SCPP/CC5@RA), is proposed to introduce RA on the surface of CFRPEEK for bioactivation. After layer-by-layer self-assembly (LBL), the surface of SCPP/CC5@RA exhibits weak electrophoresis (11.43 eV), suitable hydrophilicity, and bioactivity. The results of in vitro studies indicate that the RA release behavior of SCPP/CC5@RA effectively regulates the immune-inflammatory response and promotes the differentiation of osteoblasts. The rapid release of RA (0.17 μg mL-1) in the initial stage can downregulate the secretion of inflammation-related cytokines and significantly reduce oxidative stress levels; the sustained release of RA (0.06 μg mL-1) in the late stage can upregulate the expression of osteogenesis-related genes and induce mineralization of osteoblasts. Moreover, the rabbit tibia defect model demonstrates that the LBL technique can enhance the osseointegration of CFRPEEK implants. Compared with the control group, the bone trabecular thickness of the SCPP/CC5@RA group increases by 1.36 times, and the maximum pushing force increases by 2.67 times. In summary, this study provides a promising LBL based RA delivery system for the development of a dual-functional CFRPEEK implant in the field of bone implant biomaterials.

Development of nano-delivery systems for loaded bioactive compounds: using molecular dynamics simulations

Over the past decade, a remarkable surge in the development of functional nano-delivery systems loaded with bioactive compounds for healthcare has been witnessed. Notably, the demanding requirements of high solubility, prolonged circulation, high tissue penetration capability, and strong targeting ability of nanocarriers have posed interdisciplinary research challenges to the community. While extensive experimental studies have been conducted to understand the construction of nano-delivery systems and their metabolic behavior in vivo, less is known about these molecular mechanisms and kinetic pathways during their metabolic process in vivo, and lacking effective means for high-throughput screening. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation techniques provide a reliable tool for investigating the design of nano-delivery carriers encapsulating these functional ingredients, elucidating the synthesis, translocation, and delivery of nanocarriers. This review introduces the basic MD principles, discusses how to apply MD simulation to design nanocarriers, evaluates the ability of nanocarriers to adhere to or cross gastrointestinal mucosa, and regulates plasma proteins in vivo. Moreover, we presented the critical role of MD simulation in developing delivery systems for precise nutrition and prospects for the future. This review aims to provide insights into the implications of MD simulation techniques for designing and optimizing nano-delivery systems in the healthcare food industry.

A comparative study on inclusion complex formation between formononetin and β-cyclodextrin derivatives through multiscale classical and umbrella sampling simulations

Formononetin, a naturally occurring isoflavone exhibits a wide range of therapeutic applications including antioxidant, anti-tumor, antiviral, anti-diabetic and neuroprotective activities. However, the low hydro-solubility of formononetin has limited its prospective use in cosmetic, neutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries. Cyclodextrins (CDs), especially β-CD and its derivatives have emerged as promising agents to improve the water solubility of poorly hydrosoluble compounds by the formation of inclusion complexes. We employed multiscale (1000 ns) explicit solvent and umbrella sampling molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study the interactions and thermodynamic parameters of inclusion complex formation between formononetin and five most commonly used β-CD derivatives. Classical MD simulations revealed two possible binding conformations of formononetin inside the central cavity of hydroxypropyl-β-CD (HP-β-CD), randomly methylated-β-CD (ME-β-CD), and sulfobutylether-β-CD (SBE-β-CD). The binding conformation with the benzopyrone ring of formononetin inside the central cavity of β-CD derivatives was more frequent than the phenyl group occupying the hydrophobic cavity. These interactions were supported by a variety of non-bonded contacts including hydrogen bonds, pi-lone pair, pi-sigma, and pi-alkyl interactions. Formononetin showed favorable end-state MD-driven thermodynamic binding free energies with all the selected β-CD derivatives, except succinyl-β-CD (S-β-CD). Furthermore, umbrella sampling simulations were used to investigate the interactions and thermodynamic parameters of the host-guest inclusion complexes. The SBE-β-CD/formononetin inclusion complex showed the lowest binding energy signifying the highest affinity among all the selected host-guest inclusion complexes. Our study could be used as a standard for analyzing and comparing the ability of different β-CD derivatives to enhance the hydro-solubility of poorly soluble molecules.

Insights into the interaction mechanism of acid phosphatase from Lateolabrax japonicus livers and rosmarinic acid using multispectroscopy and molecular docking

Acid phosphatase (ACP) is a key enzyme that hydrolyzes inosinic acid. The mechanisms underlying the interaction between rosmarinic acid (RA) and ACP and the inhibition of the enzyme were investigated using inhibition kinetics, UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism, and molecular docking. The results showed that RA was a reversible inhibitor of ACP and that the inhibition mechanism was uncompetitive. The ACP fluorescence was quenched by RA, and the quenching mode was static. The interaction of ACP with RA was driven by H bonds and van der Waals forces. The addition of RA increased the α-helix content and decreased the β-sheet, β-turn, and random coil contents in ACP, thereby altering the secondary structure of the enzyme. This study enriched our understanding of inhibitory and interaction mechanisms involving ACP and RA.

Interactions between plant-derived antioxidants and cyclodextrins and their application for improving separation, detection, and food quality issues

Plant-derived antioxidants (PD-AOs) are important for food preservation, as well as for human health and nutrition. However, the poor chemical stability and water solubility of many PD-AOs currently limit their application as functional ingredients in foods and pharmaceuticals. Moreover, it is often difficult to isolate and detect specific antioxidants in multi-component systems, which again limits their potential in the food and medical industries. In this review, we highlight recent advances in the use of cyclodextrins (CDs) to overcome these limitations by forming simple, modified and competitive host-guest interactions with PD-AO. The host-guest properties of CDs can be used to enhance the separation efficiency of PD-AOs, as well as to improve their dispersion and stability in food systems. Moreover, the competitive complexation properties of CDs with target molecules can be used to selectively isolate PD-AOs from multi-component systems and develop detection technologies for PD-AOs. Overall, CD-antioxidant interactions have great potential for addressing isolation, detection, and food quality issues.

Cyclodextrin Derivatives as Promising Solubilizers to Enhance the Biological Activity of Rosmarinic Acid

Rosmarinic acid (RA) is a natural antioxidant with neuroprotective properties; however, its preventive and therapeutic use is limited due to its slight solubility and poor permeability. This study aimed to improve RA physicochemical properties by systems formation with cyclodextrins (CDs): hydroxypropyl-α-CD (HP-α-CD), HP-β-CD, and HP-γ-CD, which were prepared by the solvent evaporation (s.e.) method. The interactions between components were determined by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The sites of interaction between RA and CDs were suggested as a result of in silico studies focused on assessing the interaction between molecules. The impact of amorphous systems formation on water solubility, dissolution rate, gastrointestinal (GIT) permeability, and biological activity was studied. RA solubility was increased from 5.869 mg/mL to 113.027 mg/mL, 179.840 mg/mL, and 194.354 mg/mL by systems formation with HP-α-CD, HP-β-CD, and HP-γ-CD, respectively. During apparent solubility studies, the systems provided an acceleration of RA dissolution. Poor RA GIT permeability at pH 4.5 and 5.8, determined by parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA system), was increased; RA–HP-γ-CD s.e. indicated the greatest improvement (at pH 4.5 from P_app 6.901 × 10⁻⁷ cm/s to 1.085 × 10⁻⁶ cm/s and at pH 5.8 from 5.019 × 10⁻⁷ cm/s to 9.680 × 10⁻⁷ cm/s). Antioxidant activity, which was determined by DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, and FRAP methods, was ameliorated by systems; the greatest results were obtained for RA–HP-γ-CD s.e. The inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) was increased from 36.876% for AChE and 13.68% for BChE to a maximum inhibition of the enzyme (plateau), and enabled reaching IC₅₀ values for both enzymes by all systems. CDs are efficient excipients for improving RA physicochemical and biological properties. HP-γ-CD was the greatest one with potential for future food or dietary supplement applications.