Effects of OSA-starch-fatty acid interactions on the structural, digestibility and release characteristics of high amylose corn starch

This study investigated the effects of octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA)-starch-fatty acid (FA) interactions on the structural, digestibility and release characteristics of high amylose corn starch (HAS). FTIR and XRD analysis showed that the hydrophobic interaction between HAS and FA promoted the covalent binding between OSA and HAS. With the increasing of the FA chain length, the complex index, degree of substitution, R1047/1022 and relative crystallinity of OSA-HAS-FA increased first and then decreased, whereas the first-order rate coefficient and percentage of digested in infinite time showed an opposite trend. Structural changes and the molecular interactions of OSA-HAS-FA with 12‑carbon FA resulted in highest resistant starch content (45.43%) and encapsulation efficiency of curcumin (Cur) (47.98%). In vitro release test revealed that Cur could be gradually released from OSA-HAS-FA in simulated gastric, intestinal and colonic fluids. Results provided novel insights into HAS-FA complex grafted with OSA as carrier for colon-specific of functional materials.

Validation of UV-Vis spectrophotometric and colorimetric methods to quantify methotrexate in plasma and rat skin tissue: Application to in vitro release, ex vivo and in vivo studies from dissolving microarray patch loaded pH-sensitive nanoparticle

This research transformed MTX into smart nanoparticles that respond to the acidic conditions present in inflammation. These nanoparticles were then incorporated into a patch that dissolves over time, aiding their penetration. A method using UV-Vis spectrophotometry was validated to support the development of this new delivery system. This method was used to measure the quantity of MTX in the prepared patches in various scenarios: in laboratory solutions with pH 7.4 and pH 5.0, in skin tissue, and plasma. This validation was conducted in laboratory studies, tissue samples, and live subjects, adhering to established guidelines. The resulting calibration curve displayed a linear relationship (correlation coefficient 0.999) across these scenarios. The lowest quantity of MTX that could be accurately detected was 0.6 µg/mL in pH 7.4 solutions, 1.46 µg/mL in pH 5.0 solutions, 1.11 µg/mL in skin tissue, and 1.48 µg/mL in plasma. This validated method exhibited precision and accuracy and was not influenced by dilution effects. The method was effectively used to measure MTX levels in the developed patch in controlled lab settings and biological systems (in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo). This showed consistent drug content in the patches, controlled release patterns over 24 h, and pharmacokinetic profiles spanning 48 h. However, additional analytical approaches were necessary for quantifying MTX in studies focused on the drug's effects on the body's functions.

Development of pH-Sensitive Nanoparticle Incorporated into Dissolving Microarray Patch for Selective Delivery of Methotrexate

PURPOSE

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease that attacks human joints. Methotrexate (MTX), as one the most effective medications to treat RA, has limitations when administered either orally or by injection. To overcome this limitation, we formulated MTX through a smart nanoparticle (SNP) combined with dissolving microarray patch (DMAP) to achieve selective-targeted delivery of RA.

METHODS

SNP was made using the combination of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polycaprolactone (PCL) polymers, while DMAP was made using the combination of hyaluronic acid and polyvinylpyrrolidone K-30. SNP-DMAP was then evaluated for its mechanical and chemical characteristics, ex vivo permeation test, in vivo pharmacokinetic study, hemolysis, and hen's egg test-chorioallantoic membrane (HET-CAM) test.

RESULT

The results showed that the characteristics of the SNP-DMAP-MTX formulas meet the requirements for transdermal delivery, with the particle size of 189.09 ±12.30 nm and absorption efficiency of 65.40 ± 5.0%. The hemolysis and HET-CAM testing indicate that this formula was non-toxic and non-irritating. Ex vivo permeation shows a concentration of 51.50 ± 3.20 µg/mL of SNP-DMAP-MTX in PBS pH 5.0. The pharmacokinetic profile of SNP-DMAP-MTX showed selectivity and sustained release compared with oral and DMAP-MTX with values of t1/2 (4.88 ± 0 h), Tmax (8 ± 0 h), Cmax (0.50 ± 0.04 μg/mL), AUC (3.15 ± 0.54 μg/mL.h), and mean residence time (MRT) (9.13 ± 0 h).

CONCLUSION

The developed SNP-DMAP-MTX has been proven to deliver MTX transdermal and selectively at the RA site, potentially avoiding conventional MTX side effects and enhancing the effectiveness of RA therapy.

Irinotecan-Loaded Polymeric Micelles as a Promising Alternative to Enhance Antitumor Efficacy in Colorectal Cancer Therapy

Colorectal cancer has been considered a worldwide public health problem since current treatments are often ineffective. Irinotecan is a frontline chemotherapeutic agent that has dose-limiting side effects that compromise its therapeutic potential. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a novel, targeted drug delivery system with high therapeutic efficacy and an improved safety profile. Here, micellar formulations composed of 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[methoxy(polyethyleneglycol)-2000] (DSPE-mPEG_2k) containing irinotecan were proposed as a strategy for colorectal cancer therapy. Firstly, the irinotecan-loaded micelles were prepared using the solvent evaporation method. Then, micelles were characterized in terms of size, polydispersity, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, and release kinetics. Cytotoxicity and in vivo antitumor activity were evaluated. The micelles showed size around 13 nm, zeta potential near neutral (-0.5 mV), and encapsulation efficiency around 68.5% (irinotecan 3 mg/mL) with a sustained drug release within the first 8 h. The micelles were evaluated in a CT26 tumor animal model showing inhibition of tumor growth (89%) higher than free drug (68.7%). Body weight variation, hemolytic activity, hematological, and biochemical data showed that, at the dose of 7.5 mg/kg, the irinotecan-loaded micelles have low toxicity. In summary, our findings provide evidence that DSPE-mPEG_2k micelles could be considered potential carriers for future irinotecan delivery and their possible therapeutic application against colorectal cancer.

Polymeric Micelles for Breast Cancer Therapy: Recent Updates, Clinical Translation and Regulatory Considerations

With the growing burden of cancer, parallel advancements in anticancer nanotechnological solutions have been witnessed. Among the different types of cancers, breast cancer accounts for approximately 25% and leads to 15% of deaths. Nanomedicine and its allied fields of material science have revolutionized the science of medicine in the 21st century. Novel treatments have paved the way for improved drug delivery systems that have better efficacy and reduced adverse effects. A variety of nanoformulations using lipids, polymers, inorganic, and peptide-based nanomedicines with various functionalities are being synthesized. Thus, elaborate knowledge of these intelligent nanomedicines for highly promising drug delivery systems is of prime importance. Polymeric micelles (PMs) are generally easy to prepare with good solubilization properties; hence, they appear to be an attractive alternative over the other nanosystems. Although an overall perspective of PM systems has been presented in recent reviews, a brief discussion has been provided on PMs for breast cancer. This review provides a discussion of the state-of-the-art PMs together with the most recent advances in this field. Furthermore, special emphasis is placed on regulatory guidelines, clinical translation potential, and future aspects of the use of PMs in breast cancer treatment. The recent developments in micelle formulations look promising, with regulatory guidelines that are now more clearly defined; hence, we anticipate early clinical translation in the near future.

Multifunctional nanoparticles for targeted delivery of apoptin plasmid in cancer treatment

The systemic toxicity and low efficacy of traditional chemotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) result in poor clinical outcomes. This study was designed to achieve targeted delivery of apoptin plasmid (AP) to liver tumors and killing of cancer cells using multifunctional nanoparticles (MFNPs) having sustained-release properties. The MFNPs featuring a distinct core-shell structure were prepared using poly(lactic-glycolic acid)-ε-polylysine copolymer and loaded with AP by adsorption. Specific targeting of liver tumor cells was achieved by biotinylation of the nanoparticles (NPs), while an improvement in lysosomal escape and nuclear localization enhanced the tumor cell killing capability of AP. Blank MFNPs exhibited good biocompatibility while AP-loaded NPs were found to exert strong inhibitory effects on both tumor cells in vitro and solid tumors in vivo. Taken together, these findings demonstrate a promising route for the development of tumor-targeted NPs which may lead to improved therapeutic strategies for treating HCC.

pH Responsive Abelmoschus esculentus Mucilage and Administration of Methotrexate: In-Vitro Antitumor and In-Vivo Toxicity Evaluation

The rapid progression in biomaterial nanotechnology apprehends the potential of non-toxic and potent polysaccharide delivery modules to overcome oral chemotherapeutic challenges. The present study is aimed to design, fabricate and characterize polysaccharide nanoparticles for methotrexate (MTX) delivery. The nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared by Abelmoschus esculentus mucilage (AEM) and chitosan (CS) by the modified coacervation method, followed by ultra-sonification. The NPs showed much better pharmaceutical properties with a spherical shape and smooth surface of 213.4–254.2 nm with PDI ranging between 0.279–0.485 size with entrapment efficiency varying from 42.08 ± 1.2 to 72.23 ± 2.0. The results revealed NPs to possess positive zeta potential and a low polydispersity index (PDI). The in-vitro drug release showed a sustained release of the drug up to 32 h with pH-dependence. Blank AEM -CS NPs showed no in-vivo toxicity for a time duration of 14 days, accompanied by high cytotoxic effects of optimized MTX loaded NPs against MCF-7 and MD-MBA231 cells by MTT assay. In conclusion, the findings advocated the therapeutic potential of AEM/CS NPs as an efficacious tool, offering a new perspective for pH-responsive routing of anticancer drugs with tumor cells as a target.

Pegylated-polycaprolactone nano-sized drug delivery platforms loaded with biocompatible silver(I) complexes for anticancer therapeutics

Cytotoxic potential of Ag(I) coordination compounds against cancer cells is widely recognized, but their frequently low water solubility and potential adverse interactions of Ag(I) ions in biological media require their...

PEGylated ethyl cellulose micelles as a nanocarrier for drug delivery

Natural polymers provide a better alternative to synthetic polymers in the domain of drug delivery systems (DDSs) because of their renewability, biocompatibility, and low immunogenicity; therefore, they are being studied for the development of bulk/nanoformulations. Likewise, current methods for engineering natural polymers into micelles are in their infancy, and in-depth studies are required using natural polymers as controlled DDSs. Accordingly, in our present study, a new micellar DDS was synthesized using ethyl cellulose (EC) grafted with polyethylene glycol (PEG); it was characterized, its properties, cell toxicity, and hemocompatibility were evaluated, and its drug release kinetics were demonstrated using doxorubicin (DOX) as a model drug. Briefly, EC was grafted with PEG to form the amphiphilic copolymers EC-PEG1 and EC-PEG2 with varying PEG concentrations, and nano-micelles were prepared with and without the drug (DOX) via a dialysis method; the critical micelle concentrations (CMCs) were recorded to be 0.03 mg mL⁻¹ and 0.00193 mg mL⁻¹ for EC-PEG1 and EC-PEG2, respectively. The physicochemical properties of the respective nano-micelles were evaluated via various characterization techniques. The morphologies of the nano-micelles were analyzed via transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and the average size of the nano-micelles was recorded to be ∼80 nm. In vitro, drug release studies were done for 48 h, where 100% DOX release was recorded at pH 5.5 and 52% DOX release was recorded at pH 7.4 from the micelles. In addition, cytotoxicity studies suggested that DOX-loaded micelles were potent in killing MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cancer cells, and the blank micelles were non-toxic toward cancerous and normal cells. A cellular uptake study via fluorescence microscopy indicated the internalization of DOX-loaded micelles by cancer cells, delivering the DOX into the cellular compartments. Based on these studies, we concluded that the developed material should be studied further via in vivo studies to understand its potential as a controlled DDS to treat cancer.

Ethyl cellulose was developed as an amphiphilic polymer by PEGylation and fabricated as nanomicelles for delivery of active molecules. This polymeric system can be used as next generation nano drug delivery system (nanoDDS) for cancer therapy.

Design and Development of D‒α‒Tocopheryl Polyethylene Glycol Succinate‒block‒Poly(ε-Caprolactone) (TPGS-b-PCL) Nanocarriers for Solubilization and Controlled Release of Paclitaxel

The objective of this study was to synthesize and characterize a set of biodegradable block copolymers based on TPGS-block-poly(ε-caprolactone) (TPGS-b-PCL) and to assess their self-assembled structures as a nanodelivery system for paclitaxel (PAX). The conjugation of PCL to TPGS was hypothesized to increase the stability and the drug solubilization characteristics of TPGS micelles. TPGS-b-PCL copolymer with various PCL/TPGS ratios were synthesized via ring opening bulk polymerization of ε-caprolactone using TPGS, with different molecular weights of PEG (1–5 kDa), as initiators and stannous octoate as a catalyst. The synthesized copolymers were characterized using ¹H NMR, GPC, FTIR, XRD, and DSC. Assembly of block copolymers was achieved via the cosolvent evaporation method. The self-assembled structures were characterized for their size, polydispersity, and CMC using dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique. The results from the spectroscopic and thermal analyses confirmed the successful synthesis of the copolymers. Only copolymers that consisted of TPGS with PEG molecular weights ≥ 2000 Da were able to self-assemble and form nanocarriers of ≤200 nm in diameter. Moreover, TPGS₂₀₀₀-b-PCL₄₀₀₀, TPGS₃₅₀₀-b-PCL₇₀₀₀, and TPGS₅₀₀₀-b-PCL₁₅₀₀₀ micelles enhanced the aqueous solubility of PAX from 0.3 µg/mL up to 88.4 ug/mL in TPGS₅₀₀₀-b-PCL₁₅₀₀₀. Of the abovementioned micellar formulations, TPGS₅₀₀₀-b-PCL₁₅₀₀₀ showed the slowest in vitro release of PAX. Specifically, the PAX-loaded TPGS₅₀₀₀-b-PCL₁₅₀₀₀ micellar formulation showed less than 10% drug release within the first 12 h, and around 36% cumulative drug release within 72 h compared to 61% and 100% PAX release, respectively, from the commercially available formulation (Ebetaxel^®) at the same time points. Our results point to a great potential for TPGS-b-PCL micelles to efficiently solubilize and control the release of PAX.

Development and In Vitro Evaluation of 2-Methoxyestradiol Loaded Polymeric Micelles for Enhancing Anticancer Activities in Prostate Cancer

The present study aimed to formulate and optimize 2ME-loaded PMs (2ME-PMs) for enhancing the anticancer activity of 2ME in prostate cancer (PC). The 2ME-PMs were formulated using PEG-PLGA (PL), Tween 80 (TW80), and alpha-lipoic acid (ALA). The optimization was carried out using a Box-Behnken design with the PL, TW80, and ALA as the independent variables and particle size (PS) as the response. The formulation was optimized for the lowest possible PS, and the software suggested optimum formula with 100.282 mg, 2%, and 40 mg for PL, TW80, and ALA, respectively. The optimized PMs had spherical morphology with PS of 65.36 ± 2.2 nm, polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.273 ± 0.03, and entrapment efficiency of 65.23 ± 3.5%. The in vitro drug release was 76.3 ± 3.2% after 24 h. The cell line studies using PC-3 cells showed IC₅₀ values of 18.75 and 54.41 µmol for 2ME-PM and 2ME, respectively. The estimation of tumor biomarkers was also carried out. The tumor biomarkers caspase-9 (17.38 ± 1.42 ng/mL), tumor protein P53 (p53) (1050.0 ± 40.9 pg/mL), nitric oxide (NO) (0.693 ± 0.03 pg/mL), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) (25.84 ± 2.23 pg/mL), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) (0.719 ± 0.07 pg/mL), interleukin-6 (IL-6) (2.53 ± 0.16 folds), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) (3.04 ± 0.5 folds) were determined for 2ME-PMs and the results showed that these values changed significantly compared to those of 2ME. Overall, the results showed that the formulation of 2ME to 2ME-PMs enhances the anticancer effect. The exploration of the combined advantages of PEG, PLGA, ALA, and PMs in cancer therapy and the delivery of 2ME is the major importance of this research work. PEG reduces the elimination of 2ME, PLGA enhances 2ME loading, ALA has an inherent apoptotic effect, and PMs can efficiently target tumor cells.