A spectroscopic investigation into the interaction between bile salts and insulin in alkaline aqueous solution

Addressing the interaction of stem bromelain with different anionic surfactants, below, at and above the critical micelle concentration (cmc) in phosphate buffer at pH 7: Physicochemical, spectroscopic, & molecular docking study

The structural stability and therapeutic activity of Stem Bromelain (BM) have been explored by unravelling the interaction of stem BM in presence of two different types of anionic surfactants namely, bile salts, NaC and NaDC and the conventional anionic surfactants, SDDS and SDBS, below, at and above the critical micelle concentration (cmc) in aqueous phosphate buffer of pH 7. Different physicochemical parameters like, surface excess (Γcmc), minimum area of surfactants at air water interface (Amin) etc. are calculated from tensiometry both in absence and presence of BM. Several inflection points (C1, C2 and C3) have been found in tensiometry profile of surfactants in presence of BM due to the conformational change of BM assisted by surfactants. Similar observation also found in isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) profiles where the enthalpy of micellization (ΔH0obs) of surfactants in absence and presence of BM have calculated. Further, steady state absorption and fluorescence spectra monitoring the tryptophan (Trp) emission of free BM and in presence of all the surfactants at three different temperatures (288.15 K, 298.15 K, and 308.15 K) reveal the nature of fluorescence quenching of BM in presence of bile salts/surfactants. Time resolved fluorescence studies at room temperature also support to determine the several quenching parameters. The binding constant (Kb) of BM with all the surfactants and free energy of binding (∆G0 of bile salts/surfactants with BM at different temperatures have been calculated exploiting steady state fluorescence technique. It is observed that, the binding of NaC with BM is greater as compared to other surfactants while Stern-Volmer quenching constant (KSV) is found greater in presence of SDBS as compared with others which supports the surface tension and ITC data with the fact that surface activity of surfactant(s) is decreasing with the binding of the surfactants at the core or binding pocket of BM. Circular Dichroism (CD) study shows the stability of secondary structure of BM in presence of NaC and NaDC below C3, while BM lost its structural stability even at very low surfactant concentration of SDDS and SDBS which also supports the more involvement of bile salts in binding rather than surfactants. The molecular docking studies have also been substantiated for better understanding the several experimental investigations interaction of BM with the bile salts/surfactants.

Probing the molecular interactions between cholinium-based ionic liquids and insulin aspart: A combined computational and experimental study

Despite extensive studies revealing the potential of cholinium-based ionic liquids (ILs) in protein stabilization, the nature of interaction between ILs' constituents and protein residues is not well understood. In this work, we used a combined computational and experimental approach to investigate the structural stability of a peptide hormone, insulin aspart (IA), in ILs containing a choline cation [Ch]+ and either dihydrogen phosphate ([Dhp]-) or acetate ([Ace]-) as anions. Although IA remained stable in both 1 M [Ch][Dhp] and 1 M [Ch][Ace], [Dhp]- exhibited a much stronger stabilization effect than [Ace]-. Both the hydrophilic ILs intensely hydrated IA and increased the number of water molecules in IA's solvation shell. Undeterred by the increased number of water molecules, the native state of IA's hydrophobic core was maintained in the presence of ILs. Importantly, our results reveal the importance of IL concentration in the medium which was critical to maintain a steady population of ions in the microenvironment of IA and to counteract the denaturing effect of water molecules. Through molecular docking, we confirm that the anions exert the dominant effect on the structure of IA, while [Ch]+ have the secondary influence. The computational results were validated using spectroscopic analyses (ultra-violet, fluorescence, and circular dichroism) along with dynamic light scattering measurements. The extended stability of IA at 30 °C for 28 days in 1 M [Ch][Dhp] and [Ch][Ace] demonstrated in this study reveals the possibility of stabilizing IA using cholinium-based ILs.

In situ rearranged multifunctional lipid nanoparticles via synergistic potentiation for oral insulin delivery

Oral administration of therapeutic peptides/proteins (TPPs) is confronted with multiple gastrointestinal (GI) barriers such as mucus and intestinal epithelium, and the first-pass metabolism in the liver is also responsible for low bioavailability. In situ rearranged multifunctional lipid nanoparticles (LNs) were developed to overcome these obstacles via synergistic potentiation for oral insulin delivery. After the reverse micelles of insulin (RMI) containing functional components were gavaged, LNs formed in situ under the hydration effect of GI fluid. The nearly electroneutral surface generated by the rearrangement of sodium deoxycholate (SDC) and chitosan (CS) on the reverse micelle core facilitated LNs (RMI@SDC@SB12-CS) to overcome mucus barrier and the sulfobetaine 12 (SB12) modification further promoted epithelial uptake of LNs. Subsequently, chylomicron-like particles formed by the lipid core in the intestinal epithelium were easily transported to the lymphatic circulation and then into the systemic circulation, thus avoiding hepatic first-pass metabolism. Eventually, RMI@SDC@SB12-CS achieved a high pharmacological bioavailability of 13.7% in diabetic rats. In conclusion, this study provides a versatile platform for enhanced oral insulin delivery.

Enhanced structural stability of insulin aspart in cholinium aminoate ionic liquids

Cholinium aminoates [Ch][AA] have gained tremendous interest as a promising ionic liquid medium for the synthesis and storage of proteins. However, high alkalinity of [Ch][AA] limits its usage with pH-sensitive proteins. Here, we probed the structure, stability, and interactions of a highly unstable therapeutic protein, insulin aspart (IA), in a range of buffered [Ch][AA] (b-[Ch][AA]) using a combination of biophysical tools and in silico pipeline including ultraviolet-visible, fluorescence, and circular dichroism spectroscopies, dynamic light scattering measurements and molecular docking. b-[Ch][AA] used in the study differed in concentrations and their anionic counterparts. We reveal information on ion and residue specific solvent-protein interactions, demonstrating that the structural stability of IA was enhanced by a buffered cholinium prolinate. In comparison to the glycinate and alaninate anions, the hydrophilic prolinate anions established more hydrogen bonds with the residues of IA and provided a less polar environment that favours the preservation of IA in its active monomeric form, opening new opportunities for utilizing [Ch][AA] as storage medium.

Enhanced insulin absorption from sublingual microemulsions: effect of permeation enhancers

Microemulsions of insulin (50 IU/mL) comprising permeation enhancers were formulated for sublingual delivery. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra indicated conformational stability, while chemical stability was confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). CD spectra of insulin in combination with permeation enhancers revealed attenuation of molar ellipticity at 274 nm in the order TCTP > TC-AOT > TC > TC-NMT > Sol P > insulin solution. The molar ellipticity ratios at 208/222 nm confirmed dissociation of insulin in the microemulsions with the same rank order. Matrix-assisted laser diffraction ionization mass spectra (MALDI) revealed a significant shift in intensity signals towards monomer and dimers with a substantially high ratio of monomers, especially in the presence of the TCTP and TC-AOT. Permeation through porcine sublingual mucosa correlated with the dissociation data. A high correlation between the ratio of molar ellipticity at 208/222 nm and serum glucose levels (r (2) > 0.958) and serum insulin levels (r (2) > 0.952) strongly suggests the role of dissociation of insulin on enhanced absorption. While all microemulsions revealed a reduction in serum glucose levels and increase in serum insulin levels, significant differences were observed with the TCTP and TC-AOT microemulsions. High pharmacological availability >60 % and bioavailability >55 % compared to subcutaneous insulin at a low dose of 2 IU/kg appears highly promising. The data clearly suggests the additional role of the permeation enhancers on dissociation of insulin on enhanced sublingual absorption from the microemulsions.

Arginine dipeptides affect insulin aggregation in a pH- and ionic strength-dependent manner

Solutions containing arginine or mixtures of arginine and other amino acids are commonly used for protein liquid formulations to overcome problems such as high viscosities, aggregation, and phase separation. The aim of this work is to examine whether the stabilizing properties of arginine can be improved by incorporating the amino acid into a dipeptide. A series of arginine-containing dipeptides have been tested for their ability to suppress insulin aggregation over a range of pH and ionic strength. The aggregation is monitored at room temperature using a combination of turbidimetry and light scattering for solutions at pH 5.5 or 3.7, whereas thermal-induced aggregation is measured at pH 7.5. In addition, intrinsic fluorescence has been used to quantify additive binding to insulin. The dipeptide diArg is the most effective additive in solutions at pH 5.5 and 3.7, whereas the dipeptide Arg-Phe almost completely eliminates thermally-induced aggregation of insulin at pH 7.5 up to temperature of 90°C. Insulin has been chosen as a model system because the molecular forces controlling its aggregation are well known. From this understanding, we are able to provide a molecular basis for how the various dipeptides affect insulin aggregation.

Variant of the Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase with improved kinetic stability: a candidate for enzyme replacement therapy

Lipases with high kinetic stability and enzymatic efficiency in the human gastro-intestinal tract may help against exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Here we mimic gastric conditions to study how bile salts and pH affect the stability and activity of Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase (TlL) and its stabler variant StL using spectroscopy, calorimetry and gel electrophoresis. Both enzymes resist trypsin digestion with and without bile salts. Bile salts activate native TlL and StL equally well, bind weakly to denatured TlL and StL at lower pH and precipitate native TlL and StL at pH 4. StL refolds more efficiently than TlL from gastric pH in bile salts, regaining activity when refolding from pH as low as 1.8 and above while TlL cannot go below pH 2.6. StL also unfolds 10-40 fold more slowly in the denaturant guanidinium chloride and the anionic surfactant SDS. We ascribe StL's superior performance to general alterations in its electrostatic potential which makes it more acid-resistant. These superior properties make StL a good candidate for pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy.

Study on interaction of mangiferin to insulin and glucagon in ternary system

The binding of mangiferin to insulin and glucagon was investigated in the presence and absence of another Peptide by optical spectroscopy. Fluorescence titration experiments revealed that mangiferin quenched the intrinsic fluorescence of insulin and glucagon by static quenching. The ratios of binding constants of glucagon-mangiferin to insulin-mangiferin at different temperatures were calculated in "pure" and ternary system, respectively. The results indicated that the Peptides were competitive with each other to act on mangiferin. Values of the thermodynamic parameters and the experiments of pH effect proved that the key interacting forces between mangiferin and the Peptides were hydrophobic interaction. In addition, UV-vis absorption, synchronous fluorescence and Fourier transform infrared measurements showed that the conformation of insulin and glucagon were changed after adding mangiferin.