Sugar-conjugated dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticles as pH-responsive nanocarriers for tumor targeting and controlled release of deferasirox

Inorganic nanoparticle-cored dendrimers for biomedical applications: A review

Hybrid nanostructures exhibit a synergistic combination of features derived from their individual components, showcasing novel characteristics resulting from their distinctive structure and chemical/physical properties. Surface modifiers play a pivotal role in shaping INPs' primary attributes, influencing their physicochemical properties, stability, and functional applications. Among these modifiers, dendrimers have gained attention as highly effective multifunctional agents for INPs, owing to their unique structural qualities, dendritic effects, and physicochemical properties. Dendrimers can be seamlessly integrated with diverse inorganic nanostructures, including metal NPs, carbon nanostructures, silica NPs, and QDs. Two viable approaches to achieving this integration involve either growing or grafting dendrimers, resulting in inorganic nanostructure-cored dendrimers. The initial step involves functionalizing the nanostructures' surface, followed by the generation of dendrimers through stepwise growth or attachment of pre-synthesized dendrimer branches. This hybridization imparts superior qualities to the resulting structure, including biocompatibility, solubility, high cargo loading capacity, and substantial functionalization potential. Combining the unique properties of dendrimers with those of the inorganic nanostructure cores creates a multifunctional system suitable for diverse applications such as theranostics, bio-sensing, component isolation, chemotherapy, and cargo-carrying applications. This review summarizes the recent developments, with a specific focus on the last five years, within the realm of dendrimers. It delves into their role as modifiers of INPs and explores the potential applications of INP-cored dendrimers in the biomedical applications.

Advancements in Nanosystems for Ocular Drug Delivery: A Focus on Pediatric Retinoblastoma

The eye's complex anatomical structures present formidable barriers to effective drug delivery across a range of ocular diseases, from anterior to posterior segment pathologies. Emerging as a promising solution to these challenges, nanotechnology-based platforms-including but not limited to liposomes, dendrimers, and micelles-have shown the potential to revolutionize ophthalmic therapeutics. These nanocarriers enhance drug bioavailability, increase residence time in targeted ocular tissues, and offer precise, localized delivery, minimizing systemic side effects. Focusing on pediatric ophthalmology, particularly on retinoblastoma, this review delves into the recent advancements in functionalized nanosystems for drug delivery. Covering the literature from 2017 to 2023, it comprehensively examines these nanocarriers' potential impact on transforming the treatment landscape for retinoblastoma. The review highlights the critical role of these platforms in overcoming the unique pediatric eye barriers, thus enhancing treatment efficacy. It underscores the necessity for ongoing research to realize the full clinical potential of these innovative drug delivery systems in pediatric ophthalmology.

Environmental stimulus-responsive mesoporous silica nanoparticles as anticancer drug delivery platforms

Currently, cancer poses a significant health challenge in the medical community. Traditional chemotherapeutic agents are often accompanied by toxic side effects and limited therapeutic efficacy, restricting their application and advancement in cancer treatment. Therefore, there is an urgent need for developing intelligent drug release systems. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have many advantages, such as a large specific surface area, substantial pore volume and size, adjustable mesoporous material pore size, excellent biocompatibility, and thermodynamic stability, making them ideal carriers for drug delivery and release. Additionally, they have been widely used to develop novel anticancer drug carriers. Recently, MSNs have been employed to design responsive systems that react to the tumor microenvironment and external stimuli for controlled release of anticancer drugs. This includes factors within the intratumor environment, such as pH, temperature, enzymes, and glutathione as well as external tumor stimuli, such as light, magnetic field, and ultrasound, among others. In this review, we discuss the research progress on environmental stimulus-responsive MSNs in anticancer drug delivery systems, including internal and external environment single stimulus-responsive release and combined stimulus-responsive release. We also summarize the current challenges associated with environmental stimulus-responsive MSNs and elucidate future directions, providing a reference for the functionalization modification and practical application of these MSNs.

Melatonin Derivative-Conjugated Formulations of Pd(II) and Pt(II) Thiazoline Complexes on Mesoporous Silica to Enhance Cytotoxicity and Apoptosis against HeLa Cells

The search for alternatives to cisplatin has led to the development of new metal complexes where thiazoline derivatives based on platinum(II) and palladium(II) stand out. In this sense, the Pt(II) and Pd(II) complexes coordinated with the thiazoline derivative ligand 2-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)imino-N-(2-thiazolin-2-yl)thiazolidine (TdTn), with formula [PtCl2(TdTn)] and [PdCl2(TdTn)], have previously shown good results against several cancer lines; however, in this work, we have managed to improve their activity by supporting them on mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN). The incorporation of metal compounds with a melatonin derivative (5-methoxytryptamine, 5MT), which is a well-known antioxidant and apoptosis inducer in different types of cancer, has been able to increase the cytotoxic activity of both MSN-supported and isolated complexes with only a very low amount (0.35% w/w) of this antioxidant. The covalently functionalized systems that have been synthesized are able to increase selectivity as well as accumulation in HeLa cells. The final materials containing the metal complexes and 5MT (MSN-5MT-PtTdTn and MSN-5MT-PdTdTn) required up to nine times less metal to achieve the same cytotoxic activity than their corresponding non-formulated counterparts did, thus reducing the potential side effects caused by the use of the free metal complexes.

Novel Strategies Using Sagacious Targeting for Site-Specific Drug Delivery in Breast Cancer Treatment: Clinical Potential and Applications

For more than a decade, researchers have been working to achieve new strategies and smart targeting drug delivery techniques and technologies to treat breast cancer (BC). Nanotechnology presents a hopeful strategy for targeted drug delivery into the building of new therapeutics using the properties of nanomaterials. Nanoparticles are of high regard in the field of diagnosis and the treatment of cancer. The use of these nanoparticles as an encouraging approach in the treatment of various cancers has drawn the interest of researchers in recent years. In order to achieve the maximum therapeutic effectiveness in the treatment of BC, combination therapy has also been adopted, leading to minimal side effects and thus an enhancement in the quality of life for patients. This review article compares, discusses and criticizes the approaches to treat BC using novel design strategies and smart targeting of site-specific drug delivery systems.

Nanoparticle-based delivery systems as emerging therapy in retinoblastoma: recent advances, challenges and prospects

Retinoblastoma is the most common intraocular malignancy in children. The treatment of this rare disease is still challenging in developing countries due to delayed diagnosis. The current therapies comprise mainly surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The adverse effects of radiation and chemotherapeutic drugs have been reported to contribute to the high mortality rate and affect patients' quality of life. The systemic side effects resulting from the distribution of chemotherapeutic drugs to non-cancerous cells are enormous and have been recognized as one of the reasons why most potent anticancer compounds fail in clinical trials. Nanoparticulate delivery systems have the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment by offering targeted delivery, enhanced penetration and retention effects, increased bioavailability, and an improved toxicity profile. Notwithstanding the plethora of evidence on the beneficial effects of nanoparticles in retinoblastoma, the clinical translation of this carrier is yet to be given the needed attention. This paper reviews the current and emerging treatment options for retinoblastoma, with emphasis on recent investigations on the use of various classes of nanoparticles in diagnosing and treating retinoblastoma. It also presents the use of ligand-conjugated and smart nanoparticles in the active targeting of anticancer and imaging agents to the tumour cells. In addition, this review discusses the prospects and challenges in translating this nanocarrier into clinical use for retinoblastoma therapy. This review may provide new insight for formulation scientists to explore in order to facilitate the development of more effective and safer medicines for children suffering from retinoblastoma.

Advances in the stimuli-responsive mesoporous silica nanoparticles as drug delivery system nanotechnology for controlled release and cancer therapy

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) have attracted widespread attention in the field of drug delivery and biomedicine due to their unique structure and physicochemical properties. However, MSN still have shortcomings, such as premature drug release, poorly controlled release ability and poor targeting. Therefore, in order to reduce the damage of anti-cancer drugs to normal cells, improve their utilization rate and realize their selective release in tumor cells, "gated" stimuli-responsive mesoporous silicon nanomaterials as antitumor drug delivery carriers have attracted widespread interest among researchers. The "gated" stimuli-responsive nanovalves drug delivery system can only be removed under certain specific stimuli, which makes the drug maintain "zero release" before reaching the lesion site and achieve drug accumulation in tumor cells, effectively reducing the toxic and side effects on normal cells or tissues, and greatly exerting the efficacy of anti-cancer drugs. Therefore, the construction of stimuli-responsive nano-drug delivery systems have great application potential and significance in cancer treatment and controlled release of anti-cancer drugs. This review article emphasizes the research progress of the "gated" stimuli-responsive MSN (e.g. pH, redox potential, enzyme, temperature and light) or controlled drug release and cancer treatment since 2019.

Conjugation of folic acid with poly (NVCL-co-PEGMA)-grafted chitosan as a new doxorubicin delivery system

This paper aimed to investigate the synthesis of a novel drug delivery system (DDS) to target tumors and implement the controlled release of doxorubicin (DOX). Chitosan was modified with 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane and subjected to graft polymerization to implement grafting with the biocompatible thermosensitive copolymer of poly (NVCL-co-PEGMA). A folate receptor-targeting agent was obtained by attaching folic acid. The DDS loading capacity for DOX via physisorption was obtained to be 846.45 mg/g. The synthesized DDS showed temperature- and pH-sensitive drug release behavior in vitro. A temperature of 37 °C and a pH of 7.4 hindered the DOX release, whereas a temperature of 40 °C and a pH of 5.5 led to DOX release acceleration. In addition, the release of DOX was found to occur in a Fickian diffusion mechanism. The MTT assay tests indicated that the synthesized DDS was not detectably toxic to cell lines of breast cancer, while the toxicity of the DOX-loaded DDS was found to be substantial. The cell absorption enhancement of folic acid led to higher cytotoxicity of the DOX-loaded DDS than bare DOX. As a result, the proposed DDS could be a promising alternative for the targeted therapy of breast cancer through controlled drug release.

pH-responsive glycodendrimer as a new active targeting agent for doxorubicin delivery

The present study synthesized a new kind of pH-responsive active targeting glycodendrimer (ATGD) for doxorubicin delivery to cancerous cells. First, the glycodendrimer was synthesized based on the cultivation of chitosan dendrons on amine-functionalized, silica-grafted cellulose nanocrystals. Afterward, glycodendrimer was conjugated with folic acid to provide a folate receptor-targeting agent. The response surface method was employed to obtain the optimum conditions for the preparation of doxorubicin-loaded ATGD. The effect of doxorubicin/ATGD ratio, temperature, and pH on doxorubicin loading capacity was evaluated, and high loading capacity was achieved under optimized conditions. After determining doxorubicin release pattern at acidic and physiological pH, ATGD cytotoxicity was surveyed by MTT assay. Based on the results, the loading behavior of doxorubicin onto ATGD was in good agreement with monolayer-physisorption, and drug release was Fickian diffusion-controlled. ATGD could release the doxorubicin much more at acidic pH than physiological pH, corresponding to pH-responsive release behavior. Results of MTT assay confirmed the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin-loaded ATGD in cancer cells, while ATGD (without drug) was biocompatible with no tangible toxicity. These results suggested that ATGD has the potential for the treatment of cancer.

A review on the latest developments of mesoporous silica nanoparticles as a promising platform for diagnosis and treatment of cancer

Cancer is the second cause of human mortality after cardiovascular disease around the globe. Conventional cancer therapies are chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. In fact, due to the lack of absolute specificity and high drug concentrations, early recognition and treatment of cancer with conventional approaches have become challenging issues in the world. To mitigate against the limitations of conventional cancer chemotherapy, nanomaterials have been developed. Nanomaterials exhibit particular properties that can overcome the drawbacks of conventional therapies such as lack of specificity, high drug concentrations, and adverse drug reactions. Among nanocarriers, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have gained increasing attention due to their well-defined pore size and structure, high surface area, good biocompatibility and biodegradability, ease of surface modification, and stable aqueous dispersions. This review highlights the current progress with the use of MSNs for the delivery of chemotherapeutic agents for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Various stimuli-responsive gatekeepers, which endow the MSNs with on-demand drug delivery, surface modification strategies for targeting purposes, and multifunctional MSNs utilized in drug delivery systems (DDSs) are also addressed. Also, the capability of MSNs as flexible imaging platforms is considered. In addition, physicochemical attributes of MSNs and their effects on cancer therapy with a particular focus on recent studies is emphasized. Moreover, major challenges to the use of MSNs for cancer therapy, biosafety and cytotoxicity aspects of MSNs are discussed.

Silica nanoparticles: Biomedical applications and toxicity

Silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) are composed of silicon dioxide, the most abundant compound on Earth, and are used widely in many applications including the food industry, synthetic processes, medical diagnosis, and drug delivery due to their controllable particle size, large surface area, and great biocompatibility. Building on basic synthetic methods, convenient and economical strategies have been developed for the synthesis of SiNPs. Numerous studies have assessed the biomedical applications of SiNPs, including the surface and structural modification of SiNPs to target various cancers and diagnose diseases. However, studies on the in vitro and in vivo toxicity of SiNPs remain in the exploratory stage, and the toxicity mechanisms of SiNPs are poorly understood. This review covers recent studies on the biomedical applications of SiNPs, including their uses in drug delivery systems to diagnose and treat various diseases in the human body. SiNP toxicity is discussed in terms of the different systems of the human body and the individual organs in those systems. This comprehensive review includes both fundamental discoveries and exploratory progress in SiNP research that may lead to practical developments in the future.

An updated review of folate-functionalized nanocarriers: A promising ligand in cancer

The uncontrolled release of drugs in conventional drug delivery systems has led to the introduction of new nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems and the use of targeted nanocarriers for cancer treatment. These targeted nanocarriers, which consist of intelligent nanoparticles modified with targeting ligands, can deliver drugs to specified locations at the right time and reduce drug doses to prevent side effects. Folate is a suitable targeting ligand for folate receptors overexpressed on cancer cells and has shown promising results in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. In this review, we highlight the latest developments on the use of folate-conjugated nanoparticles in cancer diagnosis and treatment. Moreover, the toxicity, biocompatibility and efficacy of these nanocarriers are discussed.

Preparation, characterisation and comparative toxicity of nanopermethrin against Anopheles stephensi and Culex pipiens

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effectiveness of nanopermethrin as a potential new formulation for pest and vector control.

METHODS

Permethrin nanoparticles were prepared by the ionic gelation method and its structure and the formulations were designed using Box-Behnken statistical technique. The effect of independent variables (Chitosan/Permethrin ratio, tripolyphosphate quantity, sonication time) on the properties of nanoparticles was investigated to determine the optimal formulation.

RESULTS

The size of the nanoparticles ranged from 135.27 ± 5.88 to 539.5 ± 24.01 nm and the insecticide entrapment efficiency per cent (EE%) ranged from 7.72 ± 1.36 to 63.59 ± 3.17%. Anopheles stephensi larvae were then bioassayed with the nanopermethrin and compared with the results of the bioassay with the mother molecule of permethrin using a standard WHO-recommended mosquito larval bioassay kit. LC₅₀ with permethrin and nanopermethrin on larvae of An. stephensi were 0.125 and 0.026 ppm showing a 4.8 times difference. The LC₅₀ for permethrin and nanopermethrin on Culex pipiens were 0.003 and 0.00032 ppm, respectively, showing a 9.4-fold difference.

CONCLUSION

Nanopermethrin is much more potent than its mother molecule against larvae of An. stephensi and Cx. pipiens.

Stimuli-responsive mesoporous silica nanoparticles: A custom-tailored next generation approach in cargo delivery

The pre-mature release of therapeutic cargos in the bloodstream or off-target sites is a major hurdle in drug delivery. However, stimuli-specific drug release responses are capable of providing greater control over the cargo release. Herein, various types of nanocarriers have been employed for such applications. Among various types of nanoparticles, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) have several attractive characteristics, such as high loading capacity, biocompatibility, small size, porous structure, high surface area, tunable pore size and ease of functionalization of the external and internal surfaces, which facilitates the entrapment and development of stimuli-dependent release of drugs. MSNPs could be modified with such stimuli-responsive entities like nucleic acid, peptides, polymers, organic molecules, etc., to prevent pre-mature cargo release, improving the therapeutic outcome. This controlled drug release system could be modulated to function upon extracellular or intracellular specific stimuli, including pH, enzyme, glucose, glutathione, light, temperature, etc., and thus provide minimal side effects at non-target sites. This system has great potential applications for the targeted delivery of therapeutics to treat clinically challenging diseases like cancer. This review summarizes the synthesis and design of stimuli-responsive release strategies of MSNP-based drug delivery systems along with investigations in biomedical applications.

Synthesis of novel polymeric nanoparticles (methoxy-polyethylene glycol-chitosan/hyaluronic acid) containing 7-ethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin for colon cancer therapy: in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo investigation

The goal of the current study was to target 7-ethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin (SN38) orally to colon tumours by synthesizing a targeting polymer. To achieve the optimum delivery for SN38, initially methoxy-polyethylene glycol (mPEG)-chitosan was synthesized and then nanoparticles were developed through ionic gelation between mPEG-chitosan and hyaluronic acid as a ligand for cell-surface glycoprotein CD44 receptor. The SN38 was loaded in nanoparticles (SN38-NPs) using the non-covalent physical adsorption method. The size of the optimized SN38-NPs was 226.7 nm, encapsulation efficiency was 89.23% and drug content was 7.98 ± 0.54% in the optimum formulation. The attachment of mPEG to chitosan was confirmed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance. The results of differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transforms infra-red analysis indicated that SN38 existed in amorphous form and functional groups of SN38 protected in the formulations which could be a sign of suitable encapsulation of SN38 in SN38-NPs. In vitro study indicated that SN38-NPs were more potent against the cancer cells than free SN38. The cellular uptake of SN38-NPs improved up to 1.6-fold against human colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) cells. Moreover, SN38-NPs remarkably demonstrated superior anti-tumor efficacy in contrary to pure SN38. This suggests the advantage of SN38-NPs as a potent oral drug carrier which could be further explored for clinical investigations.

A promising technology for wound healing; in-vitro and in-vivo evaluation of chitosan nano-biocomposite films containing gentamicin

Aim: This paper aims to study in-vitro and in-vivo evaluation of chitosan (CHI) biocomposite of gentamicin nanoparticles (GNPs) for wound healing. Methods: In this study, CHI nanoparticles (NPs) were prepared using the ionic gelation technique. GNP biocomposites were examined on the excision wound model in Wistar rats to determine the in-vivo efficiency. Results: The diameter and zeta potential of NPs were between 151-212.9 nm and 37.2 - 51.1 mV, respectively. The entrapment efficiency was in an acceptable range of 36.6-42.7% w/w. The release test information was fitted to mathematical models (Zero, First order, Higuchi, and Korsmeyer-Peppas), and according to calculations, the kinetics of drug release followed the Korsmeyer-Peppas model. A comparison of thermograms revealed that the drug was present in the formulation in a non-crystalline form. Conclusion: Histological studies of the wound showed that the rate of skin tissue repair was higher in the GNP biocomposite treatment group than in the others.

Improved oral delivery of quercetin with hyaluronic acid containing niosomes as a promising formulation

Quercetin, a substance from nature has various biological effects; while, some challenges like low solubility in water and absorption, and high first-pass metabolism hindered its clinical efficiencies. So, various strategies using novel nanocarriers have been designed to overcome these obstacles. This study aimed to fabricate the polymeric niosomes by incorporating hyaluronic acid to deliver quercetin. After preparation, quercetin entrapped niosomes were investigated in terms of size, zeta potential, quercetin entrapment, CTAB turbidimetric assay, AFM, TEM, differential scanning Calorimetry, X-Ray diffraction, DPPH antioxidant determination, and in vivo anti-inflammatory analysis. The analysis of the results exhibited that size of niosomes containing quercetin and hyaluronic acid was 231.07 ± 8.39 nm with a zeta potential of -34.00 ± 0.95 mV. Moreover, quercetin entrapment efficiency and loading were 94.67 ± 1.62% and 1.65 ± 0.37%, respectively. TEM and AFM showed that polymeric niosomes were spheres. The release data presented that the Higuchi model was the best-fitted model. DPPH antioxidant determination displayed that 80 µl of polymeric niosomes with 7.46 × 10^-8mol of quercetin had a remarkable antioxidant potency. According to the in vivo oedema evaluation, the potency of polymeric formulations was superior to the simple suspension of quercetin to control inflammation in rats by oral administration.

Solid Dispersion Pellets: An Efficient Pharmaceutical Approach to Enrich the Solubility and Dissolution Rate of Deferasirox

Deferasirox (DFX) is an oral iron-chelating agent and classified into class II of the Biopharmaceutics Classification System. Low bioavailability of the drug due to insufficient solubility in physiological fluids is the main drawback of DFX. The idea of the current study was to explore the potential of solid dispersion (SD) as an effective method to improve the dissolution rate of DFX in pellets. The SDs were made by the solvent evaporation technique using polyethylene glycol 4000 (PEG 4000) and polyvinylpyrrolidone K25 with different drug-to-carrier ratios. Then, the dispersion was milled and mixed with other components and the mixture layered on sugar-based cores by pan coating technique. The pellets were evaluated in terms of size distribution, morphology (SEM), and dissolution behaviour. Drug-polymer interactions were studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction study (XRD), and Fourier transformation infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The pellets coated with SD showed a remarkable rise in the solubility of DFX than that of free drug-loaded pellets. The dispersion with PVP K25 showed a faster dissolution rate as compared to other mixtures. The DSC and XRD analysis indicated that the drug was in the amorphous state when dispersed in the polymer. The FTIR studies demonstrated any ruled out interaction between drug and polymer. The SEM showed smoothness on the surface of the pellets. It is resolved that the SD method considerably enriched the dissolution rate of DFX in pellets, which can also be utilized for other poorly water-soluble drugs.

Inorganic Porous Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery in Antitumoral Therapy

The use of nanoparticles in oncology to deliver chemotherapeutic agents has received considerable attention in the last decades due to their tendency to be passively accumulated in solid tumors. Besides this remarkable property, the surface of these nanocarriers can be decorated with targeting moieties capable to recognize malignant cells which lead to selective nanoparticle uptake mainly in the diseased cells, without affecting the healthy ones. Among the different nanocarriers which have been developed with this purpose, inorganic porous nanomaterials constitute some of the most interesting due to their unique properties such as excellent cargo capacity, high biocompatibility and chemical, thermal and mechanical robustness, among others. Additionally, these materials can be engineered to present an exquisite control in the drug release behavior placing stimuli-responsive pore-blockers or sensitive hybrid coats on their surface. Herein, the recent advances developed in the use of porous inorganic nanomedicines will be described in order to provide an overview of their huge potential in the look out of an efficient and safe therapy against this complex disease. Porous inorganic nanoparticles have been designed to be accumulated in tumoral tissues; once there to recognize the target cell and finally, to release their payload in a controlled manner.

Influence of the Surface Functionalization on the Fate and Performance of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles have been broadly applied as drug delivery systems owing to their exquisite features, such as excellent textural properties or biocompatibility. However, there are various biological barriers that prevent their proper translation into the clinic, including: (1) lack of selectivity toward tumor tissues, (2) lack of selectivity for tumoral cells and (3) endosomal sequestration of the particles upon internalization. In addition, their open porous structure may lead to premature drug release, consequently affecting healthy tissues and decreasing the efficacy of the treatment. First, this review will provide a comprehensive and systematic overview of the different approximations that have been implemented into mesoporous silica nanoparticles to overcome each of such biological barriers. Afterward, the potential premature and non-specific drug release from these mesoporous nanocarriers will be addressed by introducing the concept of stimuli-responsive gatekeepers, which endow the particles with on-demand and localized drug delivery.

pH-Triggered Drug Release Controlled by Poly(Styrene Sulfonate) Growth Hollow Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles

In the current report, hollow mesoporous silica (HMS) nanoparticles were successfully prepared by means of a hard-templating method and further modified with poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS) via radical polymerization. Structural analysis, surface spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric characterization confirmed a successful surface modification of HMS nanoparticles. A hairy PSS was clearly visualized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy measurement, and it is grown on the surface of HMS nanoparticles. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area and average pore size of HMS nanoparticles were reduced after surface modification because of the pore-blocking effect, which indicated that the PSS lies on the surface of nanoparticles. Nevertheless, the PSS acts as a "nano-gate" to control the release of curcumin which is triggered by pH. The drug-release profile of unmodified HMS nanoparticles showed a stormed release in both pH 7.4 and 5.0 of phosphate buffer saline buffer solution. However, a slow release (9.92% of cumulative release) of curcumin was observed at pH 7.4 when the surface of HMS nanoparticles was modified by PSS. The kinetic release study showed that the curcumin release mechanism from PSS@HMS nanoparticles followed the Ritger-Peppas kinetic model, which is the non-Fickian diffusion. Therefore, the PSS-decorated HMS nanoparticles demonstrate potential for pH-triggered drug release transport.

Curcumin entrapped hyaluronan containing niosomes: preparation, characterisation and in vitro/in vivo evaluation

Curcumin, a natural polyphenolic compound, has numerous pharmacological activities; while it faces several bioavailability problems, due to its poor solubility and stability. So, many nanostructures have been designed to overcome these drawbacks. The aim of this study was to prepare a polymeric niosomal structure by incorporating hyaluronan to improve curcumin efficiencies. Hyaluronan containing niosomes were prepared by thin film hydration medium with slight modifications. In the formulation of hyaluronan containing niosomes size and zeta potential studies, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), in-vitro release test, DPPH antioxidant assay and in-vivo anti-inflammatory test were investigated. The results showed that hyaluronan containing niosomes were 249.83 ± 6.38 nm and the entrapment of curcumin was 98.28 ± 0.278% (w/w). In addition, the shape of the hyaluronan containing niosomes was spherical. 500 µl of the prepared formulation with 4.002 × 10^-7 moles of curcumin showed 100% antioxidant effect. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory effect of the hyaluronan containing niosomes was higher than the anti-inflammatory effect of the simple suspension of curcumin.