Intervention effects of multilayer core-shell particles on colitis amelioration mechanisms of capsaicin

Larimichthys crocea isinglass polysaccharide attenuates DSS-induced colitis via gut microbiota regulation and NF-κB signaling inhibition

This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of Larimichthys Crocea Isinglass polysaccharide (CIP) in ameliorating DSS-induced colitis. CIP, a complex polysaccharide composed of six monosaccharides with a molecular weight of 3.97 kDa. Specifically, CIP treatment mitigated weight loss and histopathological damage in the colon, increased colon length, and by inhibiting the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway significantly downregulated the secretion levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β, while simultaneously upregulating the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 and inhibition of the oxidative stress-related enzyme inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). Additionally, CIP treatment enhanced intestinal barrier function by increasing the expression of intestinal tight junction proteins (TJs) and MUC2, and it promoted the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Concurrently, CIP modulated the composition of the intestinal microbiota, inhibiting the proliferation of potentially harmful bacteria such as Bacteroidota and Campylobacter. Taken together, these findings suggest that CIP exhibits promising attributes as a functional food constituent, with a particular efficacy in modulating and maintaining intestinal health.

Sulfonation of Capsaicin by sulfotransferases produces an anti-inflammatory metabolite with NF-κB pathway modulatory activity

Capsaicin (CAP), the principal bioactive component of chili peppers (Capsicum annuum L.), is widely recognized for its anti-inflammatory properties. However, its oral bioavailability is low, likely due to extensive sulfonation metabolism. Despite the well-known pharmacological benefits of CAP, the role of sulfotransferase (SULT)-mediated sulfonation in modulating its therapeutic effects remains poorly understood. This study aims to elucidate the sulfonate metabolic profile of CAP, investigate the anti-inflammatory role of its sulfonate metabolite (CAP-S), and uncover the mechanisms underlying CAP-S's anti-inflammatory effects. In our study, the mono-sulfonate metabolite of CAP, designated as CAP-S ((E)-N-[(4-sulfo-3-methoxyphenyl)methyl]-8-methylnon-6-enamide), is identified using ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR). The metabolic profile of CAP was investigated in liver S9 fractions from human, rat, and mouse samples, with sulfonation of CAP examined using seven major recombinant SULT isoforms. The results demonstrate that CAP is primarily catalyzed by SULT1A subfamily and SULT1E1. The anti-inflammatory effects of CAP-S are evaluated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells and an acute liver injury (ALI) mouse model. CAP-S significantly reduces inflammatory mediators and nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells. In vivo, CAP-S treatment alleviates hepatocyte necrosis, inflammatory cell infiltration, and reduces aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and malondialdehyde levels, while enhancing superoxide dismutase activity and decreasing NO production. Additionally, CAP-S exerts comparable anti-inflammatory effects to CAP by suppressing NF-κB p65 phosphorylation and reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines, as evidenced by network pharmacology and western blot assays. These findings underscore the role of sulfonation in modulating CAP's therapeutic potential.

Improved uptake of anthocyanins-loaded nanoparticles based on phenolic acid-grafted zein and lecithin

Anthocyanins (ACNs) exhibit various physiological activities but have low bioavailability. This study aimed to improve cellular uptake and permeability of ACNs by utilizing phenolic acids grafted zein and lecithin (ZLAs) as the carrier. With the highest grafting rate achieved in rosmarinic acid (RA)-zein at 39.79 ± 0.40 % using alkali treatment, the grafted zein samples were characterized through spectroscopy, NMR, and analysis of physicochemical properties. Ferulic acid (FA)-ZLAs exhibited the smallest particle size (69.72 ± 0.50 nm) and PDI value of 0.206 ± 0.012. Multi-spectroscopy indicated hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic forces were the major forces to stabilize ACNs. Moreover, carrier binding including electrostatic interaction effectively enhanced processing, thermal degradation, color, and gastrointestinal stability. In Caco-2 monolayers, FA-ZLAs significantly improved cellular transport efficiency, resulting in up to a 1.9-fold enhancement. RA-ZLAs exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity. This work proposes a feasible strategy for stabilizing ACNs and propelling their use in dietary supplements.

Oral Delivery of 5-Demethylnobiletin by Media-Milled Black Rice Particle-Stabilized Pickering Emulsion Alleviates Colitis in Mice: Synergistic Effects of Carrier and Loaded Bioactive

Traditional colitis treatment strategies have issues such as side effects and poor lesion targeting. In this study, a milled black rice particle-stabilized Pickering emulsion (BR-5-DMN) has been developed as a delivery vehicle for 5-demethylnobiletin (5-DMN) to treat colitis. The alleviating effects of three 5-DMN delivery systems: BR-5-DMN, Tween 80 emulsion for upper gastrointestinal delivery, and soybean oil with most 5-DMN entering the colon were compared. BR-5-DMN exhibited superior effects, enhancing 5-DMN absorption and metabolic conversion. It also improved intestinal barrier function and microbiome homeostasis, restoring short-chain fatty acid synthesis, especially acetic acid, through releasing dietary fiber, bioactives from black rice, and 5-DMN in the colon. Black rice particles in BR-5-DMN promoted the growth of Bifidobacterium while inhibiting Ruminococcus, and both black rice particles and 5-DMN synergistically increased Akkermansia abundance. This study highlights the potential of milled grain particle-stabilized emulsions as effective vehicles for bioactives to treat colitis by regulating gastrointestinal release and synergistic interactions.

Targeted no-releasing L-arginine-induced hesperetin self-assembled nanoparticles for ulcerative colitis intervention

Overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays a crucial role in initiating and advancing ulcerative colitis (UC), and the persistent cycle between ROS and inflammation accelerates disease development. Therefore, developing strategies that can effectively scavenge ROS and provide targeted intervention are crucial for the management of UC. In this study, we synthesized natural carrier-free nanoparticles (HST-Arg NPs) using the Mannich reaction and π-π stacking for the intervention of UC. HST-Arg NPs are an oral formulation that exhibit good antioxidant capabilities and gastrointestinal stability. Benefiting from the negatively charged characteristics, HST-Arg NPs can specifically accumulate in positively charged inflamed regions of the colon. Furthermore, in the oxidative microenvironment of colonic inflammation, HST-Arg NPs respond to ROS by releasing nitric oxide (NO). In mice model of UC induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS), HST-Arg NPs significantly mitigated colonic injury by modulating oxidative stress, lowering pro-inflammatory cytokines, and repairing intestinal barrier integrity. In summary, this convenient and targeted oral nanoparticle can effectively scavenge ROS at the site of inflammation and achieve gas intervention, offering robust theoretical support for the development of subsequent oral formulations in related inflammatory interventions. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Nanotechnology has been extensively explored in the biomedical field, but the application of natural carrier-free nanotechnology in this area remains relatively rare. In this study, we developed a natural nanoparticle system based on hesperetin (HST), L-arginine (L-Arg), and vanillin (VA) to scavenge ROS and alleviate inflammation. In the context of ulcerative colitis (UC), the synthesized nanoparticles exhibited excellent intervention effects, effectively protecting the colon from damage. Consequently, these nanoparticles provide a promising and precise nutritional intervention strategy by addressing both oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways simultaneously, demonstrating significant potential for application.

Tofacitinib Citrate Coordination-Based Dual-Responsive/Scavenge Nanoplatform Toward Regulate Colonic Inflammatory Microenvironment for Relieving Colitis

Ulcerative colitis is an inflammation of the colon characterized by immune dysregulation and intestinal inflammation. Developing safe oral nanomedicines that suppress intestinal inflammation, while modulating colonic inflammatory microenvironment by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is crucial for the effective treatment of colitis. Here, the tofacitinib citrate and copper coordination-based nanoparticle (TF-Cu nanoparticle, T-C) to dual-scavenge ROS and H2S by coordination competition is synthesized. Moreover, the coordination of T-C using computer simulation is explored. To enhance the acid stability and inflammatory targeting of T-C, it is encapsulated with hyaluronic acid-modified chitosan, along with a calcium pectinate coating (T-C@HP). Owing to the dual pH/pectinase-responsive characteristics of T-C@HP, the nanoplatform can target inflamed colonic lesions, inhibiting phosphorylated Janus kinase 1. Furthermore, T-C@HP scavenges ROS and H2S, as well as increases NADPH levels, which is investigated by combining biosensor (HyPer7 and iNap1/c) and chemical probes. T-C@HP also alleviates colitis by regulating the colonic inflammatory microenvironment through multiple processes, including the modulation of apoptosis, macrophage polarization, tight junction, mucus layer, and intestinal flora. Complemented by satisfactory anti-inflammatory and biosafety results, this nanoplatform represents a promising, effective, and safe treatment option for colitis patients.

Nanoparticle delivery systems of functional substances for precision nutrition

Foodborne functional substances have received much attention for their functional benefits in health and disease. However, these substances are easily affected by the adverse environment during production, transportation, or storage. They will also be damaged by the gastric environment and limited by the mucosal barrier after entering the human body, thus affecting the bioavailability of functional substances in the body. The construction of nanoparticle delivery systems is helpful to protect the biological activity of functional substances and improve their solubility, stability, and absorption of substances. Responsive delivery systems help control the release of functional substances in specific environments and targeted sites to achieve nutritional intervention, disease prevention, and treatment. In this chapter, the main types of foodborne functional substances and their commonly used delivery systems were reviewed, and the application of delivery systems in precision nutrition was described from the aspects of environmental stimuli-responsive delivery systems, site-specific delivery systems, and disease-targeted delivery systems.

Casein-quaternary chitosan complexes induced the soft assembly of egg white peptide and curcumin for ulcerative colitis alleviation

Soft assembly of peptide and curcumin (Cur) molecules enables functional integration by finding dynamic equilibrium states through non-covalent interactions. Herein, we developed two soft assembly systems, curcumin-egg white peptides (Cur-EWP) aggregations (AGs) and Cur-EWP-casein-quaternary chitosan (Cur-EWP-CA-QC) nanoparticles (NPs) to comparatively investigate their therapeutic effects on ulcerative colitis in mice and elucidate their underlying mechanism. Results revealed that Cur-EWP AGs, despite gastrointestinal tract instability, exhibited a propensity for swift accumulation within the colorectal region, enriching mucus-associated and short-chain fatty acid (SCAF)-producing bacteria, restoring the intestinal barrier damage. Whereas, Cur-EWP-CA-QC NPs, benefiting from their remarkable stability and exceptional mucosal adsorption properties, not only enhanced permeability of Cur and EWP in the small intestine to activate the immune response and boost tight junction protein expression but also, in their unabsorbed state, regulated the intestinal flora, exerting potent anti-inflammatory activity. Soft assembly of peptides and hydrophobic nutraceuticals could synergize biological activities to modulate chronic diseases.

Recent progress on engineered micro/nanomaterials mediated modulation of gut microbiota for treating inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a type of chronic recurrent inflammation disease that mainly includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Currently, the treatments for IBD remain highly challenging, with clinical treatment drugs showing limited efficacy and adverse side effects. Thus, developing drug candidates with comprehensive therapeutic effects, high efficiency, and low toxicity is urgently needed. Recently, micro/nanomaterials have attracted considerable interest because of their bioavailability, multitarget and efficient effects on IBD. In addition, gut modulation plays a substantial role in restoring intestinal homeostasis. Therefore, efficient microbiota-based strategies modulating gut microenvironment have great potential in remarkably treating IBD. With the development of micro- and nanomaterials for the treatment of IBD and more in-depth studies of their therapeutic mechanisms, it has been found that these treatments also have a tendency to positively regulate the intestinal flora, resulting in an increase in the beneficial flora and a decrease in the level of pathogenic bacteria, thus regulating the composition of the intestinal flora to a normal state. In this review, we first present the interactions among the immune system, intestinal barrier, and gut microbiome. In addition, recent advances in administration routes and methods that positively arouse the regulation of intestinal flora for IBD using probiotics, prebiotics, and redox-active micro/nanomaterials have been reviewed. Finally, the key challenges and critical perspectives of gut microbiota-based micro/nanomaterial treatment are also discussed.

Oral delivery of porous starch-loaded bilayer microgels for controlled drug delivery and treatment of ulcerative colitis

We prepared one type of bilayer microgels for oral administration with three effects: pH responsiveness, time lag, and colon enzyme degradation. Combined with the dual biological effects of curcumin (Cur) for reducing inflammation and promoting repair of colonic mucosal injury, targeted colonic localization and release of Cur according to the colonic microenvironment were enhanced. The inner core, derived from guar gum and low-methoxyl pectin, afforded colonic adhesion and degradation behavior; the outer layer, modified by alginate and chitosan via polyelectrolyte interaction, achieved colonic localization. The porous starch (PS)-mediated strong adsorption allowed Cur loading in inner core to achieve a multifunctional delivery system. In vitro, the formulations exhibited good bioresponses at different pH conditions, potentially delaying Cur release in the upper gastrointestinal tract. In vivo, dextran sulfate sodium-induced ulcerative colitis (UC) symptoms were significantly alleviated after oral administration, accompanied by reduced levels of inflammatory factors. The formulations facilitated colonic delivery, allowing Cur accumulation in colonic tissue. Moreover, the formulations could alter gut microbiota composition in mice. During Cur delivery, each formulation increased species richness, decreased pathogenic bacterial content, and afforded synergistic effects against UC. These PS-loaded bilayer microgels, exhibiting excellent biocompatibility, multi-bioresponsiveness, and colon targeting, could be beneficial in UC therapy, allowing development into a novel oral formulation.

Responsive and biocompatible chitosan-phytate microparticles with various morphology for antibacterial activity based on gas-shearing microfluidics

Chitosan microparticles are frequently used for the encapsulation of ingredients, owing to their pH-responsive, renewable, biocompatible and antimicrobial properties. Herein, pH-responsive antibacterial encapsulation carriers in chitosan-phytate (CS-PA) microparticles with various morphologies were prepared by gas-shearing microfluidics. Microparticles sizes were tuned by gas flow rate in production, and the CS and PA concentration significantly dominated the morphology of microparticles. Additionally, microparticles exhibit great storage stability, lyophilizing rehydration performance, pH-responsive behavior, as well as antibacterial and biocompatible effect, indicating that CS-PA microparticles are expected to become an ideal carrier for the actives encapsulation in pharmaceutical, food and cosmetic industries.