Preparation and characterization of egg yolk immunoglobulin loaded chitosan-liposome assisted by supercritical carbon dioxide

High-pressure CO2 treatment of cellulose, chitin and chitosan: A mini review and perspective

High-pressure CO2 (HPCD) technology has emerged as an environmentally sustainable approach for processing natural polymers such as cellulose, chitin, and chitosan. These polymers, valued for their abundance, biodegradability, and renewability compared to petroleum-based materials, provide a promising foundation for green technologies when combined with HPCD. In this mini review, we begin with an overview of the sources and structures of cellulose, chitin, and chitosan, followed by a discussion of the principles of HPCD and its functionality and role in treating these natural polymers. We then review representative examples of HPCD-treated cellulose, chitin, and chitosan, highlighting various applications, including those in biomedical engineering, environmental remediation, and other fields. Finally, we address current challenges, unresolved issues, and offer perspectives on the future opportunities for HPCD-treated cellulose, chitin, chitosan, and their relevant natural resources.

Advances in IgY antibody dosage form design and delivery strategies: Current status and future perspective

Immunoglobulin Y (IgY), a unique type of antibody found in birds, is attracting increasing attention for a broad range of biomedical applications. Rational IgY protection, dosage form design, and delivery are highly essential to transform functional IgY antibodies into desired IgY products for therapeutic and prophylactic administration. Although progress has been made in this field, it remains in the early stages, highlighting the fundamental research and development needed in this aspect of IgY technology. Hence, this article reviews the conventional and innovative IgY dosage designs and delivery strategies, emphasizes the challenges faced in various IgY delivery systems, discusses the criteria for evaluating IgY dosage form performance, and provides a comprehensive analysis of the current research status and prospects of IgY delivery strategies.

Cationic Lipid-Assisted PEG-b-PLA Nanoparticles Achieve Long-Lasting Targeted Delivery of Natural Hydrophobic Antioxidants

Natural hydrophobic antioxidants (e.g., β-carotene and naringenin) are severely limited in their application due to their low solubility and high sensitivity properties. In this study, cationic lipid-assisted nanoparticles loaded with β-carotene (NP-BC) and naringenin (NP-NAR), respectively, were fabricated and characterized, and their digestive and metabolic behaviors were evaluated using static digestion models and in vivo imaging. The particle size and potential of cationic polymer nanoparticles changed during digestion but retained their structural integrity, which was conducive to targeted drug delivery to the liver and prolonged the in vivo circulation of the drug. It is noteworthy that whereas NP-BC was more advantageous in lowering hepatic fat deposition, NP-NAR successfully limited weight gain. This study proved that cationic polymer nanoparticles are promising carriers for transporting natural hydrophobic antioxidants and may be beneficial for improving nutrition absorption and targeted delivery to alleviate metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) symptoms.

Nanolipsome Modified with Inulin and Pea Protein Isolate Improve the Thermal Stability and Slow the Release of Anthocyanin at Simulated In Vitro Digestion and Hot Cocoa Beverage

Anthocyanin (ACN) is a natural pigment with various biological activities, but their stability is compromised by external environmental factors, which limits their practical application in food processing. To enhance the stability of anthocyanin, double-layer-modified anthocyanin nanoliposomes (ACN-NLs) were prepared in this study using pea protein isolate (PPI) and inulin (IN) through layer-by-layer assembly in this study. The preparation conditions of unmodified, single-modified, and double-layer-modified nanoliposomes (ACN-NLs, PPI-ACN-NLs, and IN-PPI-ACN-NLs) were optimized via analysis of their average particle size, zeta potential, and encapsulation efficiency (EE). In addition, the structure of the nanoliposomes was characterized via transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer. Furthermore, the thermal stability of nanoliposomes in hot cocoa and their release behavior during in vitro simulated digestion were evaluated. The results indicated that the optimal formulation for IN-PPI-ACN-NLs was 6% PPI and 2% IN. Under these conditions, the IN-PPI-ACN-NLs had a particle size of 270.2 ± 0.66 nm, a zeta potential of -15.76 ± 0.81 mV, and a high EE of 88.6 ± 0.71%. TEM analysis revealed that IN-PPI-ACN-NLs exhibited a spherical core-shell structure, while FTIR confirmed the interaction between ACNs and the encapsulating materials (PPI and IN). Compared with unmodified or monolayer-modified nanoliposomes, IN-PPI-ACN-NLs exhibited thermal stability in beverage systems and enhanced DPPH radical scavenging activity. During in vitro digestion, IN-PPI-ACN-NLs demonstrated a sustained-release effect and improved the digestive stability of ACN. These properties make it a promising functional additive for applications in the food and pharmaceutical industry.

Selection strategy for encapsulation of hydrophilic and hydrophobic ingredients with food-grade materials: A systematic review and analysis

Various lipid and biopolymer-based nanocarriers have been developed to encapsulate food ingredients. The selection of nanocarrier type, preparation techniques, and loading methods should consider the compatibility of nutrient properties, nanocarrier composition, and product requirements. This review focuses on the loading methods for hydrophilic and hydrophobic substances, along with a detailed exploration of nanocarrier categorization, composition, and preparation methods. Both lipid-based and biopolymer-based nanoparticles exhibit the capability to encapsulate hydrophilic or hydrophobic substances. Liposomes and nanoemulsions allow simultaneous encapsulation of hydrophilic and hydrophobic ingredients, while solid lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers are suited for hydrophobic ingredients. The three-dimensional network structure of nanogels can efficiently load hydrophilic substances, while the functional groups in polysaccharides improve the loading capacity of hydrophobic substances through intermolecular interactions. As for protein nanoparticles, the selection of proteins with solubility characteristics analogous to the bioactives is crucial to achieve high encapsulation efficiency.

Ceftazidime and Usnic Acid Encapsulated in Chitosan-Coated Liposomes for Oral Administration against Colorectal Cancer-Inducing Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli has been associated with the induction of colorectal cancer (CRC). Thus, combined therapy incorporating usnic acid (UA) and antibiotics such as ceftazidime (CAZ), co-encapsulated in liposomes, could be an alternative. Coating the liposomes with chitosan (Chi) could facilitate the oral administration of this nanocarrier. Liposomes were prepared using the lipid film hydration method, followed by sonication and chitosan coating via the drip technique. Characterization included particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, pH, encapsulation efficiency, and physicochemical analyses. The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration were determined against E. coli ATCC 25922, NCTC 13846, and H10407 using the microdilution method. Antibiofilm assays were conducted using the crystal violet method. The liposomes exhibited sizes ranging from 116.5 ± 5.3 to 240.3 ± 3.5 nm and zeta potentials between +16.4 ± 0.6 and +28 ± 0.8 mV. The encapsulation efficiencies were 51.5 ± 0.2% for CAZ and 99.94 ± 0.1% for UA. Lipo-CAZ-Chi and Lipo-UA-Chi exhibited antibacterial activity, inhibited biofilm formation, and preformed biofilms of E. coli. The Lipo-CAZ-UA-Chi and Lipo-CAZ-Chi + Lipo-UA-Chi formulations showed enhanced activities, potentially due to co-encapsulation or combination effects. These findings suggest potential for in vivo oral administration in future antibacterial and antibiofilm therapies against CRC-inducing bacteria.

In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation of Lactoferrin-Modified Liposomal Etomidate with Enhanced Brain-Targeting Effect for General Anesthesia

Etomidate is a general anesthetic that has shown good hemodynamic stability without significant cardiovascular or respiratory depression. Despite several kinds of dosage forms having been reported for this drug, formulation types are very limited in clinical practice, and brain-targeted formulations for this central nervous system (CNS) drug have been rarely reported. Moreover, studies on the biocompatibility, toxicity, and anesthetic effects of the etomidate preparations in vivo were inadequate. The present study was to develop lactoferrin-modified liposomal etomidate (Eto-lip-LF) for enhanced drug distribution in the brain and improved anesthetic effects. Eto-lip-LF had good stability for storage and hemocompatibility for intravenous injection. Compared with the non-lactoferrin-containing liposomes, the lactoferrin-modified liposomes had notably enhanced brain-targeting ability in vivo, which was probably realized by the binding of transferrin with the transferrin and lactoferrin receptors highly distributed in the brain. Eto-lip-LF had a therapeutic index of about 25.3, higher than that of many other general anesthetics. Moreover, compared with the commercial etomidate emulsion, Eto-lip-LF could better achieve rapid onset of general anesthesia and rapid recovery from anesthesia, probably due to the enhanced drug delivery to the brain. The above results demonstrated the potential of this lactoferrin-modified liposomal etomidate to become an alternative preparation for clinical general anesthesia.

Preparation of pectin-coated and chitosan-coated phenylethanoside liposomes: Studies on characterization, stability, digestion and release behavior

In this paper, the effects of extrusion, ultrasound on physicochemical properties of liposomes were studied, and the liposomes were prepared by ethanol injection combined with extrusion-ultrasound. In addition, the quality of PhGs lips, pectin-coated PhGs lips (P-lips) and chitosan-coated PhGs lips (C-lips) was evaluated by the average particle size, encapsulation efficiency (EE) and other indicators, which indicated that the nanoparticles had been successfully prepared. Compared with extrusion or ultrasonic operation alone, the EEs of ethanol injection combined with extrusion-ultrasonic increased by 8 % and 18 % respectively. Subsequently, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and DSC thermal analysis showed that PhGs in PhGs lips may produce hydrogen bonding forces with phospholipids, and pectin and chitosan in P-lips and C-lips were not only coated on the surface of PhGs lips, but also might have some interaction between them. Cell experiments showed that PhGs lips, P-lips and C-lips can effectively improve the bioavailability of PhGs. In addition, the storage stability of P-lips and C-lips was not significantly improved compared to PhGs lips, but their digestive stability was significantly improved, and the final retention rate in simulated intestinal fluid was about 25 % higher than that of PhGs lips.

Synthesis of cell penetrating peptide sterol coupler and its liposome study on S-mRNA

In order to overcome the current LNP-mRNA delivery system's weakness of poor stability and rapid degradation by nuclease, a novel chol-CGYKK molecule and then the new phospholipid liposome were designed and prepared. A solid phase approach synthesized CGYKK and connected it to cholesterol via a disulfide linker to form the desired chol-CGYKK. Four formulated samples with different proportions of excipients were prepared by freeze-drying cationic liposomes and packaged S-mRNA. The stability test shows that after six months at 4 °C, the encapsulation rate of this novel phospholipid liposome was still approximately 90%, which would significantly improve the storage and transportation requirement. Transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy indicated that the liposomes were spherical and uniformly dispersed. On comparing the levels of mRNA protein expression of the four formulated samples, the S protein vaccine expression of formulated sample 1 was the highest. Uptake by vector cells for formulated sample 1 showed that compared to Lipo2000, and the transfection efficiency was 66.7%. Furthermore, the safety evaluation of the CGYKK and mRNA vaccine liposomes revealed no toxic effects. The in vivo study demonstrated that this novel mRNA vaccine had an immune response. However, it was still not as good as the LNP group right now, but its excellent physicochemical properties, stability, in vitro biological activity, and in vivo efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 provided new strategies for developing the next generation of mRNA delivery system.

Curcumin-Loaded Liposome Preparation in Ultrasound Environment under Pressurized Carbon Dioxide

Curcumin-loaded liposomes were prepared using a supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO2)−ultrasound environment system. The experiments were performed at temperatures of 40−70 °C and pressures of 10−25 MPa in a batch system with ultrasonication for 60 min. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images revealed liposome products with spherical morphologies and diameters of <100 nm. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis indicated that the curcumin-loaded liposome nanosuspension exhibited good stability. Changing the operating conditions influenced the amount of liposome-encapsulated curcumin; as the operating temperature or pressure increased, the diameter of the liposome products and the amount of liposome-encapsulated curcumin increased and decreased, respectively. Herein, we described an innovative and practical organic-solvent-free method for generating liposomes from phospholipids.