Oral delivery of fish oil in oil-in-water nanoemulsion: development, colloidal stability and modulatory effect on in vivo inflammatory induction in mice

Fish oil emulsions stabilized by enzymatic hydrolysis, glycation, and fibrillation of β-Lg: Stability and EPA/DHA bioaccessibility

This study investigated the stabilization mechanism, storage stability, and in vitro digestion characteristics of oil-in-water fish oil emulsions stabilized by β-Lg modified through enzymatic hydrolysis, glycation, and fibrillation. The stabilization mechanism was elucidated by comparing droplet size, ζ-potential, interfacial protein thickness, and microstructure. Results showed that β-Lg modified through these combined processes formed a three-dimensional network, providing superior stabilization, while other modified proteins stabilized emulsions via surface adsorption. Emulsion stabilized by combined modified β-Lg maintained z-average particle sizes below 550 nm, delayed the peroxide value peak by 3 days, reduced TBARS content by 0.5 μg/mL, and remained unstratified for up to 50 days. During simulated in vitro digestion, emulsions exhibited greater stability in the gastric phase but destabilized in the intestinal phase, leading to 10.46 % higher EPA/DHA bioaccessibility than those emulsions stabilized by untreated β-Lg.

Whey Protein Isolate-Encapsulated Astaxanthin Nanoemulsion More Effectively Mitigates Skeletal Muscle Atrophy in Dexamethasone-Induced Mice

BACKGROUND

Skeletal muscle, as the largest organ in the body and the main protein pool, is crucial for various physiological processes, but atrophy of skeletal muscle can result from glucocorticoids, including dexamethasone, or from aging. Astaxanthin (AST) is a ketocarotenoid with a variety of physiological activities. However, the clinical application of AST is hampered by its strong hydrophobicity, intense off-flavors, and susceptibility to oxidation.

METHODS

In this study, we prepared whey protein isolate (WPI)-encapsulated AST nanoemulsion (WPI-AST, W-A) and investigated its alleviating effects on dexamethasone-induced skeletal muscle atrophy.

RESULTS

The optimal concentration of astaxanthin was determined to be 30 mg/mL with an oil/water ratio of 1:5. The W-A was a typical oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion with a particle size of about 110 nm. The bioaccessibility of astaxanthin was significantly improved, with the off-flavors of astaxanthin effectively masked. After oral administration, the W-A further ameliorated skeletal muscle atrophy by inhibiting skeletal muscle catabolism, promoting skeletal muscle production, and inhibiting mitochondrial autophagy compared with the same dose of WPI and AST. In addition to this, the W-A further improved the glycometabolism of skeletal muscle by reducing the expression of Foxo3 and increasing the expression of PGC-1α.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, the W-A nanoemulsion demonstrated good therapeutic value in alleviating skeletal muscle atrophy.

Insights into the protective effect of omega-3 nanoemulsion against colistin-induced nephrotoxicity in experimental rats: regulation of autophagy and necroptosis via AMPK/mTOR and RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL signaling pathways

Colistin is considered one of the most effective antibiotics against gram-negative bacteria. However, nephrotoxicity is one of the dose-limiting factors in its treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the outcome of omega-3 nanoemulsion against colistin-induced nephrotoxicity and its possible underlying mechanism. Four rat groups were involved in the present research; each group containing ten rats was divided as follows: Group I (control) rats received normal saline; Group II (omega-3 nanoemulsion) rats received a dose of 500 mg/kg/body weight orally; Group III (colistin) rats received colistin intraperitoneally (300.000 IU/kg/day); and Group IV (colistin/omega-3 nanoemulsion) rats were treated for six days. The results revealed that colistin administration caused deterioration in renal functions such as creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, 24 h proteinuria, and kidney injury molecule-1 with decrease in creatinine clearance, resulting in histological alternation and tubular damage with diffuse interstitial inflammation. Additionally, colistin significantly increased the lipid peroxidation marker malonaldehyde, proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis alpha, interleukin-6, interleukin-1 beta. Also, autophagy influx marker microtubule-associated protein light chain 3B, Beclin-1, and necroptotic related proteins, receptor-interacting protein kinase-3 (RIPK-3), RIPK-1, mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein, and autophagy pathway regulatory kinase AMP-activated protein kinase, with a decrease in antioxidant enzymes catalase, superoxide dismutase, and total antioxidant capacity, autophagic marker ubiquitin-binding protein (p62), and regulator Mammalian target of rapamycin. Interestingly, omega-3 nanoemulsion reversed the results above, dramatically improving renal function and histological picture. Thus, omega-3 nanoemulsion provided a notable method for suppressing colistin-induced nephrotoxicity via its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory power, inhibiting pathological autophagy and necroptosis.

Innovations in Nanoemulsion Technology: Enhancing Drug Delivery for Oral, Parenteral, and Ophthalmic Applications

Nanoemulsions (NEs) are submicron-sized heterogeneous biphasic liquid systems stabilized by surfactants. They are physically transparent or translucent, optically isotropic, and kinetically stable, with droplet sizes ranging from 20 to 500 nm. Their unique properties, such as high surface area, small droplet size, enhanced bioavailability, excellent physical stability, and rapid digestibility, make them ideal for encapsulating various active substances. This review focuses on recent advancements, future prospects, and challenges in the field of NEs, particularly in oral, parenteral, and ophthalmic delivery. It also discusses recent clinical trials and patents. Different types of in vitro and in vivo NE characterization techniques are summarized. High-energy and low-energy preparation methods are briefly described with diagrams. Formulation considerations and commonly used excipients for oral, ocular, and ophthalmic drug delivery are presented. The review emphasizes the need for new functional excipients to improve the permeation of large molecular weight unstable proteins, oligonucleotides, and hydrophilic drugs to advance drug delivery rapidly.

Doxorubicin-induced Immunogenic Cell Death Impairs Tumor Progression and Distant Metastasis in a 4T1 Breast Cancer Tumor Model

INTRODUCTION

Cancer is an individual disease and its formation and development are specific to each host. Conventional treatments are ineffective in complex cases, such as metastasis, and have severe adverse side effects. New strategies are needed to address the problem, and the use of immunogenic cell death (ICD) as a trigger or booster of the immune system through the exposure of damage-associated molecular patterns, along with tumor antigens, by cancerous cells is presented as an immunization approach in this work.

METHODS

For this purpose, 4T1 cells were exposed to doxorubicin (DOX) for 24 hours and then, these cells undergoing ICD were subcutaneously administered to mice. The ICD induction by DOX on 4T1 was assessed by flow cytometry and image analysis. This immunization process was performed three times and after the last administration, the immunized mice were challenged with a subcutaneous xenograft of live cancer cells.

RESULTS

The results demonstrate that the mice immunized with cells undergoing ICD after exposure to DOX presented no primary tumor or indications of distant metastatic lesion development.

CONCLUSION

In summary, our findings indicate that the immunization process utilizing ICD is indeed efficacious in managing this aggressive form of pre-clinical breast cancer.

Nanoemulsion Improves the Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Intraperitoneal and Oral Administration of Carvacryl Acetate

Carvacryl acetate (CA) is a monoterpene obtained from carvacrol, which exhibits anti-inflammatory activity. However, its low solubility in aqueous media limits its application and bioavailability. Herein, we aimed to develop a carvacryl acetate nanoemulsion (CANE) and assess its anti-inflammatory potential in preclinical trials. The optimized nanoemulsion was produced by ultrasound, and stability parameters were characterized for 90 days using dynamic light scattering after hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) assessment. To evaluate anti-inflammatory activity, a complete Freund's adjuvant-induced inflammation model was established. Paw edema was measured, and local interleukin (IL)-1β levels were quantified using ELISA. Toxicity was assessed based on behavioral changes and biochemical assays. The optimized nanoemulsion contained 3% CA, 9% surfactants (HLB 9), and 88% water and exhibited good stability over 90 days, with no signs of toxicity. The release study revealed that CANE followed zero-order kinetics. Dose-response curves for CA were generated for intraperitoneal and oral administration, demonstrating anti-inflammatory effects by both routes; however, efficacy was lower when administered orally. Furthermore, CANE showed improved anti-inflammatory activity when compared with free oil, particularly when administered orally. Moreover, daily treatment with CANE did not induce behavioral or biochemical alterations. Overall, these findings indicate that nanoemulsification can enhance the anti-inflammatory properties of CA by oral administration.

Fish Oil Ameliorates Vibrio parahaemolyticus Infection in Mice by Restoring Colonic Microbiota, Metabolic Profiles, and Immune Homeostasis

The effect of fish oil (FO) on colonic function, immunity, and microbiota was investigated in Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp)-infected C57BL/6J mice. Mice intragastrically presupplemented with FO (4.0 mg) significantly reduced Vp infection as evidenced by stabilizing body weight and reducing disease activity index score and immune organ ratios. FO minimized colonic pathological damage, strengthened the mucosal barrier, and sustained epithelial permeability by increasing epithelial crypt depth, goblet cell numbers, and tight junctions and inhibiting colonic collagen accumulation and fibrosis protein expression. Mechanistically, FO enhanced immunity by decreasing colonic CD³⁺ T cells, increasing CD⁴⁺ T cells, downregulating the TLR4 pathway, reducing interleukin-17 (IL-17) and tumor necrosis factor-α, and increasing immune cytokine IL-4 and interferon-γ levels. Additionally, FO maintained colonic microbiota eubiosis by improving microbial diversity and boosting Clostridium, Akkermansia, and Roseburia growth and their derived propionic acid and butyric acid levels. Collectively, FO alleviated Vp infection by enriching beneficial colonic microbiota and metabolites and restoring immune homeostasis.

Recent approaches in nanocarrier-based therapies for neglected tropical diseases

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) remain major public health problems in developing countries. Reducing the burden of NTDs requires sustained collaborative drug discovery efforts to achieve the goals of the new NTDs roadmap launched by the World Health Organization. Oral drugs are the most convenient choice and usually the safest and least expensive. However, the oral use of some drugs for NTDs treatment has many drawbacks, including toxicity, adverse reactions, drug resistance, drug low solubility, and bioavailability. Since there is an imperative need for novel and more effective drugs to treat the various NTDs, in recent years, several compound-loaded nanoparticles have been prepared with the objective of evaluating their application as an oral drug delivery system for the treatment of NTDs. This review focuses on the various types of nanoparticle drug delivery systems that have been recently used against the major NTDs caused by parasites such as leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, and schistosomiasis. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Infectious Disease.

Recent progress in fish oil-based emulsions by various food-grade stabilizers: Fabrication strategy, interfacial stability mechanism and potential application

Fish oil, rich in a variety of long-chain ω-3 PUFAs, is widely used in fortified foods due to its broad-spectrum health benefits. However, its undesired characteristics include oxidation sensitivity, poor water solubility, and fishy off-flavor greatly hinder its exploitation in food field. Over the past two decades, constructing fish oil emulsions to encapsulate ω-3 PUFAs for improving their physicochemical and functional properties has undergone great progress. This review mainly focuses on understanding the fabrication strategies, stabilization mechanism, and potential applications of fish oil emulsions, including fish oil microemulsions, nanoemulsions, double emulsions, Pickering emulsions and emulsion gels. Furthermore, the role of oil-water interfacial stabilizers in the fish oil emulsions stability will be discussed with a highlight on food-grade single emulsifiers and natural complex systems for achieving this purpose. Additionally, its roles and applications in food industry and nutrition field are delineated. Finally, possible innovative food trends and applications are highlighted, such as novel fish oil-based delivery systems construction (e.g., Janus emulsions and nutraceutical co-delivery systems), exploring digestion and absorption mechanisms and enhancing functional evaluation (e.g., nutritional supplement enhancer, and novel fortified/functional foods). This review provides a reference for the application of fish oil-based emulsion systems in future precision diet intervention implementations.

Fish Oil Nanoemulsion Supplementation Attenuates Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis BALB/c Mice

Diets rich in omega-3 or -6 fatty acids will produce different profiles for cell membranes phospholipid constitutions. Omegas 3 and 6 are part of the diet and can modulate the inflammatory profile. We evaluated the effects of the oral absorption of fish oil, when associated with a lipid nanoemulsion in an experimental pulmonary inflammatory model. Pulmonary fibrosis is a disease associated with excessive extracellular matrix deposition. We determined to investigate the morphophysiological mechanisms in mice that were pretreated after induction with bleomycin (BLM). The pretreatment was for 21 days with saline solution, sunflower oil (SO), fish oil (FO), and fish oil nanoemulsion (NEW3). The animals received a daily dose of 50 mg/Kg of docosahexaenoic acid DHA and 10 mg/Kg eicosapentaenoic (EPA) (100 mg/Kg), represented by a daily dose of 40 µL of NEW3. The blank group was treated with the same amount daily (40 µL) during the 21 days of pretreatment. The animals were treated with SO and FO, 100 mg/Kg (containing 58 mg/Kg of polyunsaturated fats/higher% linoleic acid) and 100 mg/Kg (50 mg/Kg of DHA and 10 mg/Kg EPA), respectively. A single dose of 5 mg/mL (50 μL) bleomycin sulfate, by the intratracheal surgical method in BALB/cAnNTac (BALB/c). NEW3 significantly reduced fibrotic progression, which can be evidenced by the protection from loss of body mass, increase in respiratory incursions per minute, decreased spacing of alveolar septa, decreased severity of fibrosis, and changes in the respiratory system. NEW3 attenuated the inflammatory changes developed in the experimental model of pulmonary fibrosis, while group SO showed a significant increase in inflammatory changes. This concluded that the presented results demonstrated that is possible to positively modulate the immune and inflamamtory response to an external agressor, by changing the nutitional intake of specific fatty acids, such as omega-3 placed in fish oil. Moreover, these benefits can be improved by the nanoencapsulation of fish oil in lipid nanoemulsions.

The Roles of Optogenetics and Technology in Neurobiology: A Review

Optogenetic is a technique that combines optics and genetics to control specific neurons. This technique usually uses adenoviruses that encode photosensitive protein. The adenovirus may concentrate in a specific neural region. By shining light on the target nerve region, the photosensitive protein encoded by the adenovirus is controlled. Photosensitive proteins controlled by light can selectively allow ions inside and outside the cell membrane to pass through, resulting in inhibition or activation effects. Due to the high precision and minimally invasive, optogenetics has achieved good results in many fields, especially in the field of neuron functions and neural circuits. Significant advances have also been made in the study of many clinical diseases. This review focuses on the research of optogenetics in the field of neurobiology. These include how to use optogenetics to control nerve cells, study neural circuits, and treat diseases by changing the state of neurons. We hoped that this review will give a comprehensive understanding of the progress of optogenetics in the field of neurobiology.

Recent trends in praziquantel nanoformulations for helminthiasis treatment

INTRODUCTION

Infections caused by parasitic flatworms impose a considerable worldwide health burden. Recently, World Health Organization launched its roadmap for neglected diseases for the period 2021 to 2030 and oral treatment with praziquantel (PZQ) in tablet form is the main drug therapy for combating these diseases, but its use is limited by many drawbacks, including the high therapeutic dose due to the drug's low solubility and bioavailability. Among the strategies to improve PZQ performance, the use of drug nanocarriers has been cited as an interesting approach to overcome these pharmacological issues.

AREAS COVERED

This review focuses on the various types of nanomaterials (polymeric, lipidic, inorganic nanoparticles, and nanocrystals) which have been recently used to improve PZQ therapy. In addition, recent advances in PZQ nanoformulations, developed to overcome the barriers of the conventional drug are described.

EXPERT OPINION

Considering the poor rate of discovery in the anthelmintic segment observed in recent decades, the effective management of existing drugs has become essential. The application of new strategies based on nanotechnology can extend the useful life of PZQ in new and more effective formulations. Pharmaceutical nanotechnology can solve the pharmacokinetic challenges characteristic of PZQ and improve its solubility and bioavailability.