Comparison of high-performance liquid chromatography and ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry to determine the best method to assess Levofloxacin released from mesoporous silica microspheres/nano-hydroxyapatite composite scaffolds

ULK1 Mediated Autophagy-Promoting Effects of Rutin-Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles Contribute to the Activation of NF-κB Signaling Besides Inhibiting EMT in Hep3B Hepatoma Cells

Background

Liver cancer remains to be one of the leading causes of cancer worldwide. The treatment options face several challenges and nanomaterials have proven to improve the bioavailability of several drug candidates and their applications in nanomedicine. Specifically, chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) are extremely biodegradable, pose enhanced biocompatibility and are considered safe for use in medicine.

Methods

CNPs were synthesized by ionic gelation, loaded with rutin (rCNPs) and characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The rCNPs were tested for their cytotoxic effects on human hepatoma Hep3B cells, and experiments were conducted to determine the mechanism of such effects. Further, the biocompatibility of the rCNPs was tested on L929 fibroblasts, and their hemocompatibility was determined.

Results

Initially, UV-vis and FTIR analyses indicated the possible loading of rutin on rCNPs. Further, the rutin load was quantitatively measured using Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC) and the concentration was 88 µg/mL for 0.22 micron filtered rCNPs. The drug loading capacity (LC%) of the rCNPs was observed to be 13.29 ± 0.68%, and encapsulation efficiency (EE%) was 19.55 ± 1.01%. The drug release was pH-responsive as 88.58% of the drug was released after 24 hrs at the lysosomal pH 5.5, whereas 91.44% of the drug was released at physiological pH 7.4 after 102 hrs. The cytotoxic effects were prominent in 0.22 micron filtered samples of 5 mg/mL rutin precursor. The particle size for the rCNPs at this concentration was 144.1 nm and the polydispersity index (PDI) was 0.244, which is deemed to be ideal for tumor targeting. A zeta potential (ζ-potential) value of 16.4 mV indicated rCNPs with good stability. The IC50 value for the cytotoxic effects of rCNPs on human hepatoma Hep3B cells was 9.7 ± 0.19 μg/mL of rutin load. In addition, the increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and changes in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were observed. Gene expression studies indicated that the mechanism for cytotoxic effects of rCNPs on Hep3B cells was due to the activation of Unc-51-like autophagy-activating kinase (ULK1) mediated autophagy and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling besides inhibiting the epithelial-mesenchymal Transition (EMT). In addition, the rCNPs were less toxic on NCTC clone 929 (L929) fibroblasts in comparison to the Hep3B cells and possessed excellent hemocompatibility (less than 2% of hemolysis).

Conclusion

The synthesized rCNPs were pH-responsive and possessed the physicochemical properties suitable for tumor targeting. The particles were effectively cytotoxic on Hep3B cells in comparison to normal cells and possessed excellent hemocompatibility. The very low hemolytic profile of rCNPs indicates that the drug could be administered intravenously for cancer therapy.

In Vitro Kinetic Hydrolysis Study of Metronidazole Derivatives with Carvacrol and Eugenol Using Validated RP-HPLC Method

Background:

Prodrugs principle is widely used to improve the pharmacological and pharmacokinetic properties of some active drugs. Much effort was made to develop metronidazole prodrugs to enhance antibacterial activity and or to improve pharmacokinetic properties of the molecule or to lower the adverse effects of metronidazole.

Objective:

In this work, the pharmacokinetic properties of some of monoterpenes and eugenol pro metronidazole molecules that were developed earlier were evaluated in-vitro. The kinetic hydrolysis rate constants and half-life time estimation of the new metronidazole derivatives were calculated using the validated RP-HPLC method.

Method:

Chromatographic analysis was done using Zorbbax Eclipse eXtra Dense Bonding (XDB)-C18 column of dimensions (250 mm, 4.6 mm, 5 μm), at ambient column temperature. The mobile phase was a mixture of sodium dihydrogen phosphate buffer of pH 4.5 and methanol in gradient elution, at 1ml/min flow rate. The method was fully validated according to the International Council for Harmonization (ICH) guidelines. The hydrolysis process carried out in an acidic buffer pH 1.2 and in an alkaline buffer pH 7.4 in a thermostatic bath at 37ºC.

Results:

The results followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. All metronidazole prodrugs were stable in the acidic pH, while they were hydrolysed in the alkaline buffer within a few hours (6-8 hr). The rate constant and half-life values were calculated, and their values were found to be 0.082- 0.117 hr-1 and 5.9- 8.5 hr., respectively.

Conclusion:

The developed method was accurate, sensitive, and selective for the prodrugs. For most of the prodrugs, the hydrolysis followed pseudo-first-order kinetics; the method might be utilised to conduct an in-vivo study for the metronidazole derivatives with monoterpenes and eugenol.