Preparation, characterization, and in vitro/vivo studies of oleanolic acid-loaded lactoferrin nanoparticles

Self-Nanoemulsifying Drug Delivery System (SNEDDS) Using Lipophilic Extract of Viscum album subsp. austriacum (Wiesb.) Vollm

Background and Purpose

Natural products are potential sources of anticancer components. Among various species, the lipophilic extract of the Viscum album subsp. austriacum (Wiesb.) Vollm. (VALE) has shown promising therapeutic potential. The present work aimed to qualify the plant source and characterize the extract's chemical profile. In addition, a self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) containing VALE (SNEDDS-VALE) was developed.

Methods

V. album subsp. austriacum histochemistry was performed, and the chemical profile of VALE was analyzed by GC-MS. After the SNEEDS-VALE development, its morphology was visualized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), while its stability was evaluated by the average droplet size, polydispersity index (PdI) and pH. Lastly, SNEDDS-VALE chemical stability was evaluated by LC-DAD-MS.

Results

The histochemical analysis showed the presence of lipophilic compounds in the leaves and stems. The major compound in the VALE was oleanolic acid, followed by lupeol acetate and ursolic acid. SNEDDS was composed of medium chain triglyceride and Kolliphor® RH 40 (PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil). A homogeneous, isotropic and stable nanoemulsion was obtained, with an average size of 36.87 ± 1.04 nm and PdI of 0.14 ± 0.02, for 14 weeks.

Conclusion

This is the first histochemistry analysis of V. album subsp. austriacum growing on Pinus sylvestris L. which provided detailed information regarding its lipophilic compounds. A homogeneous, isotropic and stable SNEDDS-VALE was obtained to improve the low water solubility of VALE. Further, in vitro and in vivo experiments should be performed, in order to evaluate the antitumoral potential of SNEDDS-VALE.

Mini-encyclopedia of mitochondria-relevant nutraceuticals protecting health in primary and secondary care-clinically relevant 3PM innovation

Despite their subordination in humans, to a great extent, mitochondria maintain their independent status but tightly cooperate with the "host" on protecting the joint life quality and minimizing health risks. Under oxidative stress conditions, healthy mitochondria promptly increase mitophagy level to remove damaged "fellows" rejuvenating the mitochondrial population and sending fragments of mtDNA as SOS signals to all systems in the human body. As long as metabolic pathways are under systemic control and well-concerted together, adaptive mechanisms become triggered increasing systemic protection, activating antioxidant defense and repair machinery. Contextually, all attributes of mitochondrial patho-/physiology are instrumental for predictive medical approach and cost-effective treatments tailored to individualized patient profiles in primary (to protect vulnerable individuals again the health-to-disease transition) and secondary (to protect affected individuals again disease progression) care. Nutraceuticals are naturally occurring bioactive compounds demonstrating health-promoting, illness-preventing, and other health-related benefits. Keeping in mind health-promoting properties of nutraceuticals along with their great therapeutic potential and safety profile, there is a permanently growing demand on the application of mitochondria-relevant nutraceuticals. Application of nutraceuticals is beneficial only if meeting needs at individual level. Therefore, health risk assessment and creation of individualized patient profiles are of pivotal importance followed by adapted nutraceutical sets meeting individual needs. Based on the scientific evidence available for mitochondria-relevant nutraceuticals, this article presents examples of frequent medical conditions, which require protective measures targeted on mitochondria as a holistic approach following advanced concepts of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (PPPM/3PM) in primary and secondary care.

Delivery of Oleanolic Acid with Improved Antifibrosis Efficacy by a Cell Penetrating Peptide P10

Oleanolic acid (OA), a common pentacyclic triterpenoid found in plants, has several therapeutic uses, including the treatment of hepatopathy disorders. However, due to OA's weak permeability and limited bioavailability, its therapeutic advantages are limited. Here, we showed that a short peptide known as p10 not only binds to OA but also rapidly enhances OA delivery into cultured hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), lowers their synthesis of fibrogenic proteins, and further reduces the HSC migration capacity. Our findings show that noncovalently conjugating short peptides to OA improves its pharmacological efficacy and permeability.

Oleanolic acid-loaded nanoparticles attenuate activation of hepatic stellate cells via suppressing TGF-β1 and oxidative stress in PM2.5-exposed hepatocytes

Liver fibrosis has the potential to progress into liver cirrhosis, liver failure, and even death. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation play a central role in liver fibrosis, and persistently damaged hepatocytes secrete soluble factors that activate transdifferentiation of HSCs into myofibroblasts. Our previous studies indicated that fine particulate matter (PM2.5) can activate HSCs by stimulating hepatocytes to secrete TGF-β1. However, whether PM2.5 activates HSCs by regulating oxidative stress in hepatocytes remains uncertain. Oleanolic acid (OA) has been widely used in the clinic for hepatoprotection in Chinese medicine. In the present study, OA-loaded nanoparticles (OA-NP) with high solubility were used to attenuate the activation of HSCs induced by PM2.5-treated hepatocytes, and further studies were performed to explore the mechanism in which OA-NP plays a vital part. Our results showed that consistently PM2.5 treatment induced oxidative stress in hepatocytes. Moreover, the activation of HSCs induced by PM2.5-treated hepatocytes was reversed by antioxidant N-acetylcysteine treatment. Hence, PM2.5 may participate in the activation of HSCs by regulating oxidative stress in hepatocytes. Using a co-cultivation system, our results proved pretreatment with OA-NP significantly attenuates the activation of HSCs induced by PM2.5-exposed hepatocytes. In addition, the TGF-β1 expression and oxidative stress in hepatocytes with PM2.5 treated were reduced by the incubation with OA-NP. These observations demonstrated that OA-NP protects against the activation of HSCs by decreasing the TGF-β1 level and oxidative stress in PM2.5-exposed hepatocytes.

Nanotechnology-Based Drug Delivery System for Anticancer Active Ingredients from Traditional Chinese Medicines: A Review

The variable dosage forms of most traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) could be disadvantaged by low selectivity, poor biological distribution, limited bioavailability with low efficacy, and some adverse effects. These issues limit the control of clinical pharmacodynamics of the antitumor active components. With the progress of science and technology, many new polymer materials and new technologies have emerged, such as nanotechnology, cyclodextrin inclusion, solid dispersion, microcapsule and microsphere technologies. These new technologies provide a good basis for exploring novel TCM dosage forms for overcoming the shortcomings. The increased numbers of new technologies have been used to study TCM dosage forms with remarkable achievements. In this review paper, we will provide a systematic overview of the new dosage forms of nano-formulations and co-medications in relation to nano-delivery systems in an attempt to provide useful references for practical application of active antitumor ingredients from the TCMs.

Nanoformulations for Delivery of Pentacyclic Triterpenoids in Anticancer Therapies

The search for safe and effective anticancer therapies is one of the major challenges of the 21st century. The ineffective treatment of cancers, classified as civilization diseases, contributes to a decreased quality of life, health loss, and premature mortality in oncological patients. Many natural phytochemicals have anticancer potential. Pentacyclic triterpenoids, characterized by six- and five-membered ring structures, are one of the largest class of natural metabolites sourced from the plant kingdom. Among the known natural triterpenoids, we can distinguish lupane-, oleanane-, and ursane-types. Pentacyclic triterpenoids are known to have many biological activities, e.g., anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, hepatoprotective, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. Unfortunately, they are also characterized by poor water solubility and, hence, low bioavailability. These pharmacological properties may be improved by both introducing some modifications to their native structures and developing novel delivery systems based on the latest nanotechnological achievements. The development of nanocarrier-delivery systems is aimed at increasing the transport capacity of bioactive compounds by enhancing their solubility, bioavailability, stability in vivo and ensuring tumor-targeting while their toxicity and risk of side effects are significantly reduced. Nanocarriers may vary in sizes, constituents, shapes, and surface properties, all of which affect the ultimate efficacy and safety of a given anticancer therapy, as presented in this review. The presented results demonstrate the high antitumor potential of systems for delivery of pentacyclic triterpenoids.

Pentacyclic Triterpene Profile and Its Biosynthetic Pathway in Cecropia telenitida as a Prospective Dietary Supplement

Promising research over the past decades has shown that some types of pentacyclic triterpenes (PTs) are associated with the prevention of type 2 diabetes (T2D), especially those found in foods. The most abundant edible sources of PTs are those belonging to the ursane and oleanane scaffold. The principal finding is that Cecropia telenitida contains abundant oleanane and ursane PT types with similar oxygenation patterns to those found in food matrices. We studied the compositional profile of a rich PT fraction (DE16-R) and carried out a viability test over different cell lines. The biosynthetic pathway connected to the isolated PTs in C. telenitida offers a specific medicinal benefit related to the modulation of T2D. This current study suggests that this plant can assemble isobaric, positional isomers or epimeric PT. Ursane or oleanane scaffolds with the same oxygenation pattern are always shared by the PTs in C. telenitida, as demonstrated by its biosynthetic pathway. Local communities have long used this plant in traditional medicine, and humans have consumed ursane and oleanane PTs in fruits since ancient times, two key points we believe useful in considering the medicinal benefits of C. telenitida and explaining how a group of molecules sharing a closely related scaffold can express effectiveness.

Oleanolic acid protects against mast cell-mediated allergic responses by suppressing Akt/NF-κB and STAT1 activation

BACKGROUND

Oleanolic acid (OA) is an active compound found in a variety of medicinal herbs and plants. Though OA has been widely attributed with a variety of biological activities, studies focused on its anti-allergic inflammation properties are insufficient.

PURPOSE

Given the rapid increase in allergic diseases and the lack of fundamental treatment options, this study aimed to find a safe and effective therapy for allergic disorders.

METHODS

We evaluated the inhibitory effect of OA on allergic inflammatory response and the possible mechanisms underlying the effect using phorbol-12-myristate 13-acetate plus calcium ionophore A23187 (PMACI)-stimulated human mast cell (HMC)-1, and a mouse model of compound 48/80-induced anaphylactic shock.

RESULTS

OA suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokine expressions in PMACI-induced HMC-1 cells by inhibiting activation of the Akt, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 1 signaling pathways. Moreover, OA showed a protective effect against compound 48/80-induced anaphylactic shock through inhibition of histamine release and immunoglobulin E level via regulation of NF-κB and STAT1 activation.

CONCLUSION

The results showed that OA suppressed mast cell-mediated allergic response by transcriptional regulation. We suggest that OA has potential effect against allergic inflammatory disorders, including anaphylaxis, and might be a useful therapeutic agent for allergic disease.

Development and Evaluation of Oleanolic Acid Dosage Forms and Its Derivatives

Oleanolic acid is a pentacyclic triterpenoid compound that exists widely in medicinal herbs and other plants. Because of the extensive pharmacological activity, oleanolic acid has attracted more and more attention. However, the structural characteristics of oleanolic acid prevent it from being directly made into new drugs, which limits the application of oleanolic acid. Through the application of modern preparation techniques and methods, different oleanolic acid dosage forms and derivatives have been designed and synthesized. These techniques can improve the water solubility and bioavailability of oleanolic acid and lay a foundation for the new drug development. In this review, the recent progress in understanding the oleanolic acid dosage forms and its derivatives are discussed. Furthermore, these products were evaluated comprehensively from the perspective of characterization and pharmacokinetics, and this work may provide ideas and references for the development of oleanolic acid preparations.

Lactoferrin, a unique molecule with diverse therapeutical and nanotechnological applications

Lactoferrin (LF) is a naturally glycoprotein with iron-binding properties and diverse biological applications including; antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer and immune stimulating effects. In addition, LF was found to be an ideal nanocarrier for some hydrophobic therapeutics because of its active targeting potential due to overexpression of its receptor on the surface of many cells. Moreover, it was proven to be a good candidate for fabrication of nanocarriers to specifically deliver drugs in case of brain tumors owing to the capability of LF to cross the blood brain barrier (BBB). Consequently, it seems to be a promising molecule with multiple applications in the field of cancer therapy and nanomedicine.

Antiviral effect of phytochemicals from medicinal plants: Applications and drug delivery strategies

Viral infections affect three to five million patients annually. While commonly used antivirals often show limited efficacy and serious adverse effects, herbal extracts have been in use for medicinal purposes since ancient times and are known for their antiviral properties and more tolerable side effects. Thus, naturally based pharmacotherapy may be a proper alternative for treating viral diseases. With that in mind, various pharmaceutical formulations and delivery systems including micelles, nanoparticles, nanosuspensions, solid dispersions, microspheres and crystals, self-nanoemulsifying and self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS and SMEDDS) have been developed and used for antiviral delivery of natural products. These diverse technologies offer effective and reliable delivery of medicinal phytochemicals. Given the challenges and possibilities of antiviral treatment, this review provides the verified data on the medicinal plants and related herbal substances with antiviral activity, as well as applied strategies for the delivery of these plant extracts and biologically active phytochemicals. Graphical Abstract.

Lactoferrin, a multi-functional glycoprotein: Active therapeutic, drug nanocarrier & targeting ligand

Recent progress in protein-based nanomedicine, inspired by the success of Abraxane® albumin-paclitaxel nanoparticles, have resulted in novel therapeutics used for treatment of challenging diseases like cancer and viral infections. However, absence of specific drug targeting, poor pharmacokinetics, premature drug release, and off-target toxicity are still formidable challenges in the clinic. Therefore, alternative protein-based nanomedicines were developed to overcome those challenges. In this regard, lactoferrin (Lf), a glycoprotein of transferrin family, offers a promising biodegradable well tolerated material that could be exploited both as an active therapeutic and drug nanocarrier. This review highlights the major pharmacological actions of Lf including anti-cancer, antiviral, and immunomodulatory actions. Delivery technologies of Lf to improve its pries and enhance its efficacy were also reviewed. Moreover, different nano-engineering strategies used for fabrication of drug-loaded Lf nanocarriers were discussed. In addition, the use of Lf for functionalization of drug nanocarriers with emphasis on tumor-targeted drug delivery was illustrated. Besides its wide application in oncology nano-therapeutics, we discussed the recent advances of Lf-based nanocarriers as efficient platforms for delivery of anti-parkinsonian, anti-Alzheimer, anti-viral drugs, immunomodulatory and bone engineering applications.

Toward a better understanding of metabolic and pharmacokinetic characteristics of low-solubility, low-permeability natural medicines

Today, it is very challenging to develop new active pharmaceutical ingredients. Developing good preparations of well-recognized natural medicines is certainly a practical and economic strategy. Low-solubility, low-permeability natural medicines (LLNMs) possess valuable advantages such as effectiveness, relative low cost and low toxicity, which is shown by the presence of popular products on the market. Understanding the in vivo metabolic and pharmacokinetic characteristics of LLNMs contributes to overcoming their associated problems, such as low absorption and low bioavailability. In this review, the structure-based metabolic reactions of LLNMs and related enzymatic systems, cellular and bodily pharmacological effects and metabolic influences, drug-drug interactions involved in metabolism and microenvironmental changes, and pharmacokinetics and dose-dependent/linear pharmacokinetic models are comprehensively evaluated. This review suggests that better pharmacological activity and pharmacokinetic behaviors may be achieved by modifying the metabolism through using nanotechnology and nanosystem in combination with the suitable administration route and dosage. It is noteworthy that novel nanosystems, such as triggered-release liposomes, nucleic acid polymer nanosystems and PEGylated dendrimers, in addition to prodrug and intestinal penetration enhancer, demonstrate encouraging performance. Insights into the metabolic and pharmacokinetic characteristics of LLNMs may help pharmacists to identify new LLNM formulations with high bioavailability and amazing efficacy and help physicians carry out LLNM-based precision medicine and individualized therapies.

Single small molecule-assembled nanoparticles mediate efficient oral drug delivery

Oral drug delivery, which requires surviving the harsh environment in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and penetrating the intestinal epithelium, has not been achieved using simple formulation nanoparticles (NPs). Medicinal natural products (MNPs) have been widely used in traditional medicine for disease management through oral consumption. However, most pharmacologically active compounds within MNPs do not have the properties suitable for oral applications. We hypothesize that some MNPs contain natural nanomaterials that can convert those compounds into oral formulations by forming NPs. After screening 66 MNPs, we identified five classes of small molecules that form NPs, many of which are capable of efficient drug encapsulation and GI penetration. We show that one of them, dehydrotrametenolic acid (DTA), is capable of mediating oral delivery for effective disease treatment. We determine that DTA NPs assemble through hydrogen bonding and penetrate the GI tract via apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter. Our study reveals a novel class of single component, small molecule- assembled NPs for oral drug delivery, and suggests a novel approach to modernizing MNPs through nanomaterial discovery.

Anti-edema and antioxidant combination therapy for ischemic stroke via glyburide-loaded betulinic acid nanoparticles

Stroke is a deadly disease without effective pharmacotherapies, which is due to two major reasons. First, most therapeutics cannot efficiently penetrate the brain. Second, single agent pharmacotherapy may be insufficient and effective treatment of stroke requires targeting multiple complementary targets. Here, we set to develop single component, multifunctional nanoparticles (NPs) for targeted delivery of glyburide to the brain for stroke treatment. Methods: To characterize the brain penetrability, we radiolabeled glyburide, intravenously administered it to stroke- bearing mice, and determined its accumulation in the brain using positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT). To identify functional nanomaterials to improve drug delivery to the brain, we developed a chemical extraction approach and tested it for isolation of nanomaterials from E. ulmoides, a medicinal herb. To assess the therapeutic benefits, we synthesized glyburide-loaded NPs and evaluated them in stroke- bearing mice. Results: We found that glyburide has a limited ability to penetrate the ischemic brain. We identified betulinic acid (BA) capable of forming NPs, which, after intravenous administration, efficiently penetrate the brain and significantly reduce ischemia-induced infarction as an antioxidant agent. We demonstrated that BA NPs enhance delivery of glyburide, leading to therapeutic benefits significantly greater than those achieved by either glyburide or BA NPs. Conclusion: This study suggests a new direction to identify functional nanomaterials and a simple approach to achieving anti-edema and antioxidant combination therapy. The resulting glyburide- loaded BA NPs may be translated into clinical applications to improve clinical management of stroke.

Scabiosa Genus: A Rich Source of Bioactive Metabolites

The genus Scabiosa (family Caprifoliaceae) is considered large (618 scientific plant names of species) although only 62 have accepted Latin binominal names. The majority of the Scabiosa species are widely distributed in the Mediterranean region and some Scabiosa species are used in traditional medicine systems. For instance, Scabiosa columbaria L. is used traditionally against diphtheria while S. comosa Fisch. Ex Roem. and Schult. is used in Mongolian and Tibetan traditional medical settings to treat liver diseases. The richness of Scabiosa species in secondary metabolites such as iridoids, flavonoids and pentacyclic triterpenoids may contribute to its use in folk medicine. Details on the most recent and relevant pharmacological in vivo studies on the bioactive secondary metabolites isolated from Scabiosa species will be summarized and thoroughly discussed.

Solving the challenge of the blood-brain barrier to treat infections caused by Trypanosoma evansi: evaluation of nerolidol-loaded nanospheres in mice

Despite significant advances in therapies against Trypanosoma evansi, its effective elimination from the central nervous system (CNS) remains a difficult task. The incapacity of trypanocidal drugs to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) after systemic administrations makes the brain the main refuge area for T. evansi. Nanotechnology is showing great potential to improve drug efficacy, such as nerolidol-loaded nanospheres (N-NS). Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate whether the treatment with N-NS was able to cross the BBB and to eliminate T. evansi from the CNS. High-performance liquid chromatography revealed that N-NS can cross the BBB of T. evansi-infected mice, while free nerolidol (F-N) neither the trypanocidal drug diminazene aceturate (D.A.) were not detected in the brain tissue. Polymerase chain reaction revealed that 100% of the animals treated with N-NS were negatives for T. evansi in the brain tissue, while all infected animals treated with F-N or D.A. were positives. Thus, we concluded that nanotechnology improves the therapeutic efficacy of nerolidol, and enables the transport of its active principle through the BBB. In summary, N-NS treatment can eliminate the parasite from the CNS, and possesses potential to treat infected animals.

V, Nalam MR, Sunkara MV. Chlorin e6 loaded lactoferrin nanoparticles for enhanced photodynamic therapy

The LeN NPs of Lf and Ce6 enhanced the intracellular delivery of the PS improving photo-induced cell death compared to free PS.