Nanoemulsification of soybean oil using ultrasonic microreactor: Process optimization, scale-up and numbering-up in series

Delivery of small interfering RNA through lyophilized natural lipid nanoparticles: effects of natural lipid selection

CONTEXT

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are the primary non-viral vectors for siRNA delivery. However, synthetic lipids face issues, such as low lysosomal escape efficiency and high cost.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to use three natural lipids to construct LNPs, optimize their preparation and freeze-drying processes, and evaluate their siRNA delivery efficiency in vitro.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Coix seed lipid [Coix lacryma-jobi L. var. mayuen (Roman.) Stapf (Poaceae), CSL], Brucea javanica seed lipid [Brucea javanica (L.) Merr. (Simaroubaceae), BJL], and Soybean oil [Glycine max (L.) Merr. (Fabaceae), SO] were used to construct LNPs. The Z-average size, zeta potential, Polymer Dispersity Index, and N/P ratio of the LNPs were characterized. Transmission electron microscope was used for morphology observation and the MTS assay for cytotoxicity. Confocal laser scanning microscope assessed cell uptake, lysosomal escape, and co-localization of lipid droplets. The efficiency of siRNA knockdown was evaluated in three cells using qPCR and Western blot. The freeze-drying processes were optimized.

RESULTS

The optimal LNPs exhibited a size of 160-180 nm, zeta of 44-50 mV, and PDI of <0.2. At 200 μg/mL, the LNPs did not affect cell viability. CSL-LNPs, BJL-LNPs, and SO-LNPs reduced KRASG12D mRNA levels in AsPC-1 cells by 67.87 ± 3.89, 47.18 ± 7.65, and 42.52 ± 8.90%, respectively. Freeze-dried LNPs retained their basic physical properties and the three LNPs reducing KRASG12D mRNA levels by 58.47 ± 4.00, 51.83 ± 4.57, and 38.00 ± 4.89%, respectively.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Natural lipids are promising components for LNPs construction, offering new avenues for siRNA delivery in gene therapy.

Insight on dissolution performance of high purity cellulose in N-methyl morpholine-N-oxide aqueous solution with assistance of ultrasonication treatment

Cellulose dissolution is a critical parameter in cellulose-derived material production. N-methyl morpholine-N-oxide (NMMO) aqueous solution is a green solvent used to dissolve cellulose, while ultrasonication treatment is one of potential ways to enhance cellulose dissolution in it. In this work, with acetic acid/diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-purified dissolving pulp, one kind of high purity cellulose as raw material, pore-expanding effect of different ultrasonication treatment conditions was explored, and their influences on uniform penetration and diffusion of NMMO were investigated from both macroscopic and microscopic perspectives. According to the results, the surface morphology of dissolving pulp is affected by ultrasonication treatment, and the cellulose crystallinity, molecular weight (Mw and Mn), and polymerization degree are reduced obviously while its water retention ability, specific surface area, pore diameter, and pore volume are increased. The ultrasonication treatment improves the dissolution performance of dissolving pulp in NMMO. This study helps to expand the knowledge in the efficient dissolution of dissolving pulp, development of cellulose-derived material, and production of Lyocell fiber.

Uniform and size-tunable dasatinib nanoemulsions synthesized by a high-throughput microreactor for enhanced temperature stability

This study introduces a high-throughput microreactor for preparing dasatinib nanoemulsions with precise control over particle size and uniformity. Leveraging the microreactor's advantages in mass transfer and mixing, we established an empirical correlation to predict and adjust nanoemulsion properties. Optimized operational parameters enabled the synthesis of stable dasatinib nanoemulsions with narrow size distributions and mean diameters below 20 nm, maintaining their stability and transparency under various storage conditions.

Bovine serum albumin-Camptothecin nanoparticles for RNAs packaging to improve the prognosis of Cancer

xRNAs have received a lot of attention for their potential in targeted therapy. This study aims to construct nanoparticles using bovine serum albumin (BSA) and Camptothecin to improve the bioavailability and targeting of drugs through RNA packaging, thereby improving the prognosis of cancer patients. The phacoemulsification method was used to synthesize BSA-CPT-NPs, and the single factor orthogonal design method was used to optimize the process. The cytotoxicity of nanoparticles to cancer cells and their effect on intracellular RNA expression were evaluated in vitro. The results showed that the formation of BSA-Camptothecin nanoparticles was uniform, and the drug loading and RNA encapsulation efficiency reached a high level. Cell experiments showed that the nanoparticle significantly inhibited the proliferation of cancer cells and enhanced the anti-tumor effect by regulating the expression of xRNAs. The study confirmed the potential of BSA-Camptothecin nanoparticles packaged by RNA to improve the efficiency and targeting of drug delivery, and future research will focus on further exploring its feasibility in clinical applications for cancer therapy.

The Evolution of Sonochemistry: From the Beginnings to Novel Applications

Sonochemistry is the use of ultrasonic waves in an aqueous medium, to generate acoustic cavitation. In this context, sonochemistry emerged as a focal point over the past few decades, starting as a manageable process such as a cleaning technique. Now, it is found in a wide range of applications across various chemical, physical, and biological processes, creating opportunities for analysis between these processes. Sonochemistry is a powerful and eco-friendly technique often called "green chemistry" for less energy use, toxic reagents, and residues generation. It is increasing the number of applications achieved through the ultrasonic irradiation (USI) method. Sonochemistry has been established as a sustainable and cost-effective alternative compared to traditional industrial methods. It promotes scientific and social well-being, offering non-destructive advantages, including rapid processes, improved process efficiency, enhanced product quality, and, in some cases, the retention of key product characteristics. This versatile technology has significantly contributed to the food industry, materials technology, environmental remediation, and biological research. This review is created with enthusiasm and focus on shedding light on the manifold applications of sonochemistry. It delves into this technique's evolution and current applications in cleaning, environmental remediation, microfluidic, biological, and medical fields. The purpose is to show the physicochemical effects and characteristics of acoustic cavitation in different processes across various fields and to demonstrate the extending application reach of sonochemistry. Also to provide insights into the prospects of this versatile technique and demonstrating that sonochemistry is an adapting system able to generate more efficient products or processes.

Green Synthesis of Blumea balsamifera Oil Nanoemulsions Stabilized by Natural Emulsifiers and Its Effect on Wound Healing

In this study, we developed a green and multifunctional bioactive nanoemulsion (BBG-NEs) of Blumea balsamifera oil using Bletilla striata polysaccharide (BSP) and glycyrrhizic acid (GA) as natural emulsifiers. The process parameters were optimized using particle size, PDI, and zeta potential as evaluation parameters. The physicochemical properties, stability, transdermal properties, and bioactivities of the BBG-NEs under optimal operating conditions were investigated. Finally, network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to elucidate the potential molecular mechanism underlying its wound-healing properties. After parameter optimization, BBG-NEs exhibited excellent stability and demonstrated favorable in vitro transdermal properties. Furthermore, it displayed enhanced antioxidant and wound-healing effects. SD rats wound-healing experiments demonstrated improved scab formation and accelerated healing in the BBG-NE treatment relative to BBO and emulsifier groups. Pharmacological network analyses showed that AKT1, CXCL8, and EGFR may be key targets of BBG-NEs in wound repair. The results of a scratch assay and Western blotting assay also demonstrated that BBG-NEs could effectively promote cell migration and inhibit inflammatory responses. These results indicate the potential of the developed BBG-NEs for antioxidant and skin wound applications, expanding the utility of natural emulsifiers. Meanwhile, this study provided a preliminary explanation of the potential mechanism of BBG-NEs to promote wound healing through network pharmacology and molecular docking, which provided a basis for the mechanistic study of green multifunctional nanoemulsions.

Antisolvent fabrication of monodisperse liposomes using novel ultrasonic microreactors: Process optimization, performance comparison and intensification effect

Liposomes as drug carriers for the delivery of therapeutic agents have triggered extensive research but it remains a grand challenge to develop a novel technology for enabling rapid and mass fabrication of monodisperse liposomes. In this work, we constructed a novel ultrasonic microfluidic technology, namely ultrasonic microreactor (USMR) with two different conjunction structure (co-flow and impinge flow, corresponding to USMR-CF and USMR-IF, respectively), to prepare uniform liposomes by antisolvent precipitation method. In this process, the monodisperse liposomes with tunable droplet sizes (DS) in 60-100 nm and a polydispersity index (PDI) less than 0.1 can easily be achieved by tuning the total flow rate, flow rate ratio, ultrasonic power, and lipid concentration within the two USMRs. Impressively, the USMR-IF is superior for reducing the PDI and tuning DS of the liposomes over the USMR-CF. More importantly, the ultrasonic can effectively reduce DS and PDI at the low TFR and support the IF-micromixer in reducing the PDI even at a high TFR. These remarkable performances are mainly due to the rapid active mixing, fouling-free property and high operation stability for USMR-IF. In addition, diverse lipid formulations can also be uniformly assembled into small liposomes with narrow distribution, such as the prepared HSPC-based liposome with DS of 59.6 nm and PDI of 0.08. The liposomes show a high stability and the yield can reach a high throughput with 108 g/h by using the USMR-IF at an initial lipid concentration of 60 mM. The results in the present work highlight a novel ultrasonic microfluidic technology in the preparation of liposomes and may pave an avenue for the rapid, fouling-free, and high throughput fabrication of different and monodisperse nanomedicines with controllable sizes and narrow distribution.