Bioresponsive Polyphenol-Based Nanoparticles as Thrombolytic Drug Carriers

Assessment of antioxidant and antibacterial efficacy of some indigenous vegetables consumed by the Manipuri community in Sylhet, Bangladesh

The rapid dietary changes experienced by indigenous people worldwide threaten the use of traditional foods, which are often undervalued. This study focused on evaluating the antioxidant and antibacterial efficacy of five vegetables typically consumed by the Manipuri ethnic groups in the Sylhet region of Bangladesh: Yongchak seed (Parkia speciosa), Telikadam seed (Leucaena leucocephala), Phakphai leaf (Persicaria odorata), Sheuli leaf (Nyctanthes arbor-tristis), and bamboo shoot (Bambusa spp.). The samples were dried and powdered to assess the antioxidant activity through total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total tannin content (TTC), and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity. Antibacterial efficacy was determined by measuring the zone of inhibition (ZOI), minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). Leafy vegetables exhibited higher TPC, TFC, and TTC than seeds and shoots, with N. arbor-tristis leaf showing the highest TPC (99.16 ± 2.07 mg GAE/g DW) and P. odorata leaf exhibiting the highest TFC (9.19 ± 0.7 mg QE/g) and TTC (3.59 ± 0.26 mg TAE/g). However, Bambusa spp. shoot extract showed the highest antioxidant potential (IC50: 1.66 ± 0.05 mg/mL). All samples exhibited higher ZOI against gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus spp. and Staphylococcus spp.), ranging from 10 ± 2.65 to 19.33 ± 2.08 mm. L. leucocephala seed extract showed the highest antibacterial activity against both the tested gram-positive bacteria with a MIC of 15.6 mg/mL. Conversely, the P. odorata leaf extract exerted the strongest antibacterial effect against gram-negative bacteria, with the lowest MIC values for Klebsiella spp. (31.25 mg/mL) and Escheria coli (62.5 mg/mL). The findings of this investigation suggest that the selected indigenous vegetables could be valuable sources of phytochemicals with potential antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Incorporating and promoting these traditional foods into the diet may improve food security, dietary diversity, and public health in Bangladesh.

Fibrinogen binding to activated platelets and its biomimetic thrombus-targeted thrombolytic strategies

Thrombosis is associated with various fatal arteriovenous syndromes including ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, and pulmonary embolism. However, current clinical thrombolytic treatment strategies still have many problems in targeting and safety to meet the thrombolytic therapy needs. Understanding the molecular mechanism that underlies thrombosis is critical in developing effective thrombolytic strategies. It is well known that platelets play a central role in thrombosis and the binding of fibrinogen to activated platelets is a common pathway in the process of clot formation. Based on this, a concept of biomimetic thrombus-targeted thrombolytic strategy inspired from fibrinogen binding to activated platelets in thrombosis was proposed, which could selectively bind to activated platelets at a thrombus site, thus enabling targeted delivery and local release of thrombolytic agents for effective thrombolysis. In this review, we first summarized the main characteristics of platelets and fibrinogen, and then introduced the classical molecular mechanisms of thrombosis, including platelet adhesion, platelet activation and platelet aggregation through the interactions of activated platelets with fibrinogen. In addition, we highlighted the recent advances in biomimetic thrombus-targeted thrombolytic strategies which inspired from fibrinogen binding to activated platelets in thrombosis. The possible future directions and perspectives in this emerging area are briefly discussed.

pH-Responsive Theranostic Colloidosome Drug Carriers Enable Real-Time Imaging of Targeted Thrombolytic Process with Near-Infrared-II for Deep Venous Thrombosis

Thrombosis can cause life-threatening disorders. Unfortunately, current therapeutic methods for thrombosis using injecting thrombolytic medicines systemically resulted in unexpected bleeding complications. Moreover, the absence of practical imaging tools for thrombi raised dangers of undertreatment and overtreatment. This study develops a theranostic drug carrier, Pkr(IR-Ca/Pda-uPA)-cRGD, that enables real-time monitoring of the targeted thrombolytic process of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Pkr(IR-Ca/Pda-uPA)-cRGD, which is prepared from a Pickering-emulsion-like system, encapsulates both near-infrared-II (NIR-II) contrast agent (IR-1048 dye, loading capacity: 28%) and urokinase plasminogen activators (uPAs, encapsulation efficiency: 89%), pioneering the loading of multiple drugs with contrasting hydrophilicity into one single-drug carrier. Upon intravenous injection, Pkr(IR-Ca/Pda-uPA)-cRGD considerably targets to thrombi selectively (targeting rate: 91%) and disintegrates in response to acidic thrombi to release IR-1048 dye and uPA for imaging and thrombolysis, respectively. Investigations indicate that Pkr(IR-Ca/Pda-uPA)-cRGD enabled real-time visualization of targeted thrombolysis using NIR-II imaging in DVT models, in which thrombi were eliminated (120 min after drug injection) without bleeding complications. This may be the first study using convenient NIR-II imaging for real-time visualization of targeted thrombolysis. It represents the precision medicine that enables rapid response to acquire instantaneous medical images and make necessary real-time adjustments to diagnostic and therapeutic protocols during treatment.

Organic Nanoparticles in Progressing Cardiovascular Disease Treatment and Diagnosis

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), the world's most prominent cause of mortality, continue to be challenging conditions for patients, physicians, and researchers alike. CVDs comprise a wide range of illnesses affecting the heart, blood vessels, and the blood that flows through and between them. Advances in nanomedicine, a discipline focused on improving patient outcomes through revolutionary treatments, imaging agents, and ex vivo diagnostics, have created enthusiasm for overcoming limitations in CVDs' therapeutic and diagnostic landscapes. Nanomedicine can be involved in clinical purposes for CVD through the augmentation of cardiac or heart-related biomaterials, which can be functionally, mechanically, immunologically, and electrically improved by incorporating nanomaterials; vasculature applications, which involve systemically injected nanotherapeutics and imaging nanodiagnostics, nano-enabled biomaterials, or tissue-nanoengineered solutions; and enhancement of sensitivity and/or specificity of ex vivo diagnostic devices for patient samples. Therefore, this review discusses the latest studies based on applying organic nanoparticles in cardiovascular illness, including drug-conjugated polymers, lipid nanoparticles, and micelles. Following the revised information, it can be concluded that organic nanoparticles may be the most appropriate type of treatment for cardiovascular diseases due to their biocompatibility and capacity to integrate various drugs.

Natural polyphenols for drug delivery and tissue engineering construction: A review

Polyphenols, natural compounds rich in phenolic structures, are gaining prominence due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anticancer properties, making them valuable in biomedical applications. Through covalent and noncovalent interactions, polyphenols can bind to biomaterials, enhancing their performance and compensating for their shortcomings. Such polyphenol-based biomaterials not only increase the efficacy of polyphenols but also improve drug stability, control release kinetics, and boost the therapeutic effects of drugs. They offer the potential for targeted drug delivery, reducing off-target impacts and enhancing therapeutic outcomes. In tissue engineering, polyphenols promote cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation, thus aiding in the formation of functional tissues. Additionally, they offer excellent biocompatibility and mechanical strength, essential in designing scaffolds. This review explores the significant roles of polyphenols in tissue engineering and drug delivery, emphasizing their potential in advancing biomedical research and healthcare.

Application of stimuli-responsive nanomedicines for the treatment of ischemic stroke

Ischemic stroke (IS) refers to local brain tissue necrosis which is caused by impaired blood supply to the carotid artery or vertebrobasilar artery system. As the second leading cause of death in the world, IS has a high incidence and brings a heavy economic burden to all countries and regions because of its high disability rate. In order to effectively treat IS, a large number of drugs have been designed and developed. However, most drugs with good therapeutic effects confirmed in preclinical experiments have not been successfully applied to clinical treatment due to the low accumulation efficiency of drugs in IS areas after systematic administration. As an emerging strategy for the treatment of IS, stimuli-responsive nanomedicines have made great progress by precisely delivering drugs to the local site of IS. By response to the specific signals, stimuli-responsive nanomedicines change their particle size, shape, surface charge or structural integrity, which enables the enhanced drug delivery and controlled drug release within the IS tissue. This breakthrough approach not only enhances therapeutic efficiency but also mitigates the side effects commonly associated with thrombolytic and neuroprotective drugs. This review aims to comprehensively summarize the recent progress of stimuli-responsive nanomedicines for the treatment of IS. Furthermore, prospect is provided to look forward for the better development of this field.

Recent Progress in Protein-Polyphenol Assemblies for Biomedical Applications

Nowadays, natural materials as smart building blocks for assembling functional materials have aroused extensive interest in the scientific community. Proteins and polyphenols are typical natural building blocks that are widely used. On the one hand, proteins are one of the most versatile classes of biomolecules, serving as catalysts, signaling molecules, transporters, receptors, scaffolds that maintain the integrity of cell and tissue, and more. On the other hand, the facile adhesion of naturally abundant polyphenols with other substances and their potential biomedical applications have been highly attractive for functional biomaterials fabrication. Additionally, there are a variety of interactions between the proteins and polyphenols, mainly hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic, and ionic interactions. These reversible dynamic interactions enable proteins and polyphenols to form stable protein-polyphenol assemblies and maintain their inherent structures and biological activities in the assemblies. Therefore, protein-polyphenol assemblies can be applied to design a variety of advanced functional materials for biomedical applications. Herein, recent progress in protein-polyphenol particles, capsules, coatings, and hydrogels is summarized, the preparation and application of these assemblies are introduced in detail, and the future of the field is prospected.

Small molecules interfacial assembly regulate the crystallization transition process for nobiletin stabilization

Many bioactive nutraceuticals naturally occurring in food materials possess beneficial biological activities, while their use as functional supplements is subjected to hydrophobicity and crystallinity. Currently, inhibiting crystallization for such nutrients is of immense scientific interest. Here, we exploited diverse structural polyphenols as potential inhibitors for restraining Nobiletin crystallization. Specifically, the crystallization transition process could be influenced by the polyphenol gallol density, Nobiletin supersaturation (1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 mM), temperature (4, 10, 15, 25 and 37 ℃), and pH (3.5, 4, 4.5, 5), important factors for regulating the binding attachment and interactions. The optimized samples could be guided by NT100 lied in 4 ℃ at pH 4. Besides, the main assembly driving force was hydrogen-bonding cooperated with π-π stacking and electrostatic interaction, leading to a Nobiletin/TA combination ratio of ∼ 3:1. Our findings proposed an innovative synergistic strategy for inhibiting crystallization and broaden potential applications of polyphenol-based materials in advanced biological fields.

Natural products targeting inflammation-related metabolic disorders: A comprehensive review

Currently, the incidence of metabolic disorders is increasing, setting a challenge to global health. With major advancement in the diagnostic tools and clinical procedures, much has been known in the etiology of metabolic disorders and their corresponding pathophysiologies. In addition, the use of in vitro and in vivo experimental models prior to clinical studies has promoted numerous biomedical breakthroughs, including in the discovery and development of drug candidates to treat metabolic disorders. Indeed, chemicals isolated from natural products have been extensively studied as prospective drug candidates to manage diabetes, obesity, heart-related diseases, and cancer, partly due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Continuous efforts have been made in parallel to improve their bioactivity and bioavailability using selected drug delivery approaches. Here, we provide insights on recent progress in the role of inflammatory-mediated responses on the initiation of metabolic disorders, with particular reference to diabetes mellitus, obesity, heart-related diseases, and cancer. In addition, we discussed the prospective role of natural products in the management of diabetes, obesity, heart-related diseases, and cancers and provide lists of potential biological targets for high throughput screening in drug discovery and development. Lastly, we discussed findings observed in the preclinical and clinical studies prior to identifying suitable approaches on the phytochemical drug delivery systems that are potential to be used in the treatment of metabolic disorders.

An Engineered Nanosugar Enables Rapid and Sustained Glucose-Responsive Insulin Delivery in Diabetic Mice

Glucose-responsive insulin-delivery platforms that are sensitive to dynamic glucose concentration fluctuations and provide both rapid and prolonged insulin release have great potential to control hyperglycemia and avoid hypoglycemia diabetes. Here, biodegradable and charge-switchable phytoglycogen nanoparticles capable of glucose-stimulated insulin release are engineered. The nanoparticles are "nanosugars" bearing glucose-sensitive phenylboronic acid groups and amine moieties that allow effective complexation with insulin (≈95% loading capacity) to form nanocomplexes. A single subcutaneous injection of nanocomplexes shows a rapid and efficient response to a glucose challenge in two distinct diabetic mouse models, resulting in optimal blood glucose levels (below 200 mg dL^-1 ) for up to 13 h. The morphology of the nanocomplexes is found to be key to controlling rapid and extended glucose-regulated insulin delivery in vivo. These studies reveal that the injected nanocomplexes enabled efficient insulin release in the mouse, with optimal bioavailability, pharmacokinetics, and safety profiles. These results highlight a promising strategy for the development of a glucose-responsive insulin delivery system based on a natural and biodegradable nanosugar.

Gastrointestinal pH-Sensitive Pickering Emulsions Stabilized by Zein Nanoparticles Coated with Bioactive Glycyrrhizic Acid for Improving Oral Bioaccessibility of Curcumin

Pickering emulsions have received considerable attention for their stability and functionality. Environmentally responsive Pickering emulsions could be used as vehicles for oral administration. However, challenges still exist, such as nonbiocompatibility of emulsifier and mismatched response behavior in the gastrointestinal environment. In this study, a strategy was proposed that bioactive saponin glycyrrhizic acid (GA) was used as a pH-responsive substance to functionalize zein nanoparticles, and tannic acid (TA) was used as a primer for cross-linking GA and zein nanoparticles. The Pickering emulsions fabricated by zein/TA/GA nanoparticles (ZTGs) exhibited excellent stability at acid conditions while slowly demulsifying at neutral conditions, which can be further used as an intestine-targeted delivery system. Curcumin was encapsulated into ZTG-stabilized Pickering emulsions, and the encapsulation efficiency results suggested that the presence of GA coating remarkably facilitated the encapsulation of curcumin. An in vitro digestion study suggested that ZTGs provided protection for emulsions from pepsin hydrolysis and exhibited higher free fatty acid release as well as higher bioaccessibility of curcumin during simulated intestine digestion. This study provides an effective strategy to prepare pH-responsive Pickering emulsions for improving the oral bioaccessibility of hydrophobic nutraceuticals.

Plant-Derived Compounds and Extracts as Modulators of Plasmin Activity-A Review

Functionality of the fibrinolytic system is based on activity of its central enzyme, plasmin, responsible for the removal of fibrin clots. Besides the hemostasis, fibrinolytic proteins are also involved in many other physiological and pathological processes, including immune response, extracellular matrix degradation, cell migration, and tissue remodeling. Both the impaired and enhanced activity of fibrinolytic proteins may result in serious physiological consequences: prothrombotic state or excessive bleeding, respectively. However, current medicine offers very few options for treating fibrinolytic disorders, particularly in the case of plasmin inhibition. Although numerous attempts have been undertaken to identify natural or to develop engineered fibrinolytic system modulators, structural similarities within serine proteases of the hemostatic system and pleiotropic activity of fibrinolytic proteins constitute a serious problem in discovering anti- or profibrinolytic agents that could precisely affect the target molecules and reduce the risk of side effects. Therefore, this review aims to present a current knowledge of various classes of natural inhibitors and stimulators of the fibrinolytic system being well-defined low-molecular plant secondary metabolites or constituents of plant extracts as well as plant peptides. This work also discusses obstacles caused by low specificity of most of natural compounds and, hence, outlines recent trends in studies aimed at finding more efficient modulators of plasmin activity, including investigation of modifications of natural pharmacophore templates.

Peptide Amphiphile Mediated Co-assembly for Nanoplasmonic Sensing

Aromatic interactions are commonly involved in the assembly of naturally occurring building blocks, and these interactions can be replicated in an artificial setting to produce functional materials. Here we describe a colorimetric biosensor using co-assembly experiments with plasmonic gold and surfactant-like peptides (SLPs) spanning a wide range of aromatic residues, polar stretches, and interfacial affinities. The SLPs programmed in DDD-(ZZ)x -FFPC self-assemble into higher-order structures in response to a protease and subsequently modulate the colloidal dispersity of gold leading to a colorimetric readout. Results show the strong aggregation propensity of the FFPC tail without polar DDD head. The SLPs were specific to the target protease, i.e., Mpro , a biomarker for SARS-CoV-2. This system is a simple and visual tool that senses Mpro in phosphate buffer, exhaled breath condensate, and saliva with detection limits of 15.7, 20.8, and 26.1 nM, respectively. These results may have value in designing other protease testing methods.

Metal-Polyphenol Network-Mediated Protein Encapsulation Strategy Facilitating the Separation of Proteins and Metabolites in Biospecimens

Access to both protein and metabolite biomarker information in biospecimens from trace samples remains a significant challenge, and it is necessary to separate proteins and metabolites before analysis. In this work, the Fe₃O₄@SiO₂@Proteins@Metal-polyphenol network (MPN) was successfully constructed and applied to separate metabolites and proteins. Tannic acid (TA) and Cu²⁺ were involved in the synthesis of MPN because of rapid degradation and maintaining the assay performance of proteins. There are a variety of interactions between TA and proteins, including hydrogen-bonding, hydrophobic, and ionic interactions. Moreover, benefiting from the small molecule permeability and surface adherence of MPN, proteins were encapsulated and immobilized on the surface of substrates with the growth of MPN. At the same time, endogenous metabolites remained dispersed in the supernatant. In the model sample and real biospecimen cases, the protein biomarkers (e.g., carcinoembryonic antigen and alanine aminotransferase) were encapsulated on the surface of Fe₃O₄@SiO₂, which allowed the isolation of proteins from the original matrix, as well as release and analysis in a short time. Meanwhile, the metabolites in the produced supernatant were analyzed by LC-MS/MS. By the self-assembly and disassembly of MPN, the group differences of proteins and metabolites between physiological and pathological biospecimens are correctly characterized without multisampling. Overall, an MPN-mediated separation strategy of biomarkers was proposed, and MPN facilitated a "two birds with one stone" approach, where the proteins were encapsulated and immobilized in the precipitation while endogenous metabolites distributed in the produced supernatant, opening a new chapter in the application of MPNs.

Polyphenol-Functionalized Cubosomes as Thrombolytic Drug Carriers

The safe administration of thrombolytic agents is a challenge for the treatment of acute thrombosis. Lipid-based nanoparticle drug delivery technologies present opportunities to overcome the existing clinical limitations and deliver thrombolytic therapy with enhanced therapeutic outcomes and safety. Herein, lipid cubosomes are examined as nanocarriers for the encapsulation of thrombolytic drugs. The lipid cubosomes are loaded with the thrombolytic drug urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) and coated with a low-fouling peptide that is incorporated within a metal-phenolic network (MPN). The peptide-containing MPN (pep-MPN) coating inhibits the direct contact of uPA with the surrounding environment, as assessed by an in vitro plasminogen activation assay and an ex vivo whole blood clot degradation assay. The pep-MPN-coated cubosomes prepared with 22 wt% peptide demonstrate a cell membrane-dependent thrombolytic activity, which is attributed to their fusogenic lipid behavior. Moreover, compared with the uncoated lipid cubosomes, the uPA-loaded pep-MPN-coated cubosomes demonstrate significantly reduced nonspecific cell association (<10% of the uncoated cubosomes) in the whole blood assay, a prolonged circulating half-life, and reduced splenic uPA accumulation in mice. These studies confirm the preserved bioactivity and cell membrane-dependent release of uPA within pep-MPN-coated lipid cubosomes, highlighting their potential as a delivery vehicle for thrombolytic drugs.