Development of Drug Delivery Systems from Vegetal Proteins: Legumin Nanoparticles

Self-assembled poloxamer-legumin/vicilin nanoparticles for the nanoencapsulation and controlled release of folic acid

Plant-based food proteins are a promising choice for the preparation of nanoparticles (NPs) due to their high digestibility, low cost, and ability to interact with various compounds and nutrients. Moreover, nanoencapsulation offers a potential solution for protecting nutrients during processing and enhancing their bioavailability. This study aimed to develop and evaluate nanoparticles (NPs) based on legumin/vicilin (LV) proteins extracted from fava beans, with the goal of encapsulating and delivering a model nutraceutical compound, folic acid (FA). Specifically, NPs were self-assembled from LV proteins extracted from commercially available frozen fava beans using a pH-coacervation method with poloxamer 188 (P188) and chemically cross-linked with glutaraldehyde. Microscopy and spectroscopy studies were carried out on the empty and FA-loaded NPs in order to evaluate the particle morphology, size, size distribution, composition, mechanism of formation, impact of FA loading and release behavior. In vitro studies with Caco-2 cells also confirmed that the empty and FA-loaded nanoparticles were non-toxic. Thus, the LV-NPs are good candidates as food additives for the delivery and stabilization of nutrients as well as in drug delivery for the controlled release of therapeutics.

An Up-to-date Review on Protein-based Nanocarriers in the Management of Cancer

BACKGROUND

A big health issue facing the world's population is cancer. An alarming increase in cancer patients was anticipated by worldwide demographic statistics, which showed that the number of patients with different malignancies was rapidly increasing. By 2025, probably 420 million cases were projected to be achieved. The most common cancers diagnosed are breast, colorectal, prostate, and lung. Conventional treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, have been practiced.

OBJECTIVE

In recent years, the area of cancer therapy has changed dramatically with expanded studies on the molecular-level detection and treatment of cancer. Recent advances in cancer research have seen significant advances in therapies such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy, although both have limitations in effectiveness and toxicity.

METHODS

The development of nanotechnology for anticancer drug delivery has developed several potentials as nanocarriers, which may boost the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic effects of the drug product and substantially reduce the side effects.

RESULTS

The advancement in non-viral to viral-based protein-based nanocarriers for treating cancer has earned further recognition in this respect. Many scientific breakthroughs have relied on protein-based nanocarriers, and proteins are essential organic macromolecules for life. It allows targeted delivery of passive or active tumors using non-viral-based protein-based nanocarriers to viral-based protein nanocarriers. When targeting cancer cells, both animal and plant proteins may be used in a formulation process to create self-assembled viruses and platforms that can successfully eradicate metastatic cancer cells.

CONCLUSION

This review, therefore, explores in depth the applications of non-viral to viral proteinbased noncarriers with a specific focus on intracellular drug delivery and anti-cancer drug targeting ability.

Utilization of diverse protein sources for the development of protein-based nanostructures as bioactive carrier systems: A review of recent research findings (2010-2021)

Consumer awareness of the relationship between health and nutrition has caused a substantial increase in the demand for nutraceuticals and functional foods containing bioactive compounds (BACs) with potential health benefits. However, the direct incorporation of many BACs into commercial food and beverage products is challenging because of their poor matrix compatibility, chemical instability, low bioavailability, or adverse impact on food quality. Advanced encapsulation technologies are therefore being employed to overcome these problems. In this article, we focus on the utilization of plant and animal derived proteins to fabricate micro and nano-particles that can be used for the oral delivery of BACs such as omega-3 oils, vitamins and nutraceuticals. This review comprehensively discusses different methods being implemented for fabrications of protein-based delivery vehicles, types of proteins used, and their compatibility for the purpose. Finally, some of the challenges and limitations of different protein matrices for encapsulation of BACs are deliberated upon. Various approaches have been developed for the fabrication of protein-based microparticles and nanoparticles, including injection-gelation, controlled denaturation, and antisolvent precipitation methods. These methods can be used to construct particle-based delivery systems with different compositions, sizes, surface hydrophobicity, and electrical characteristics, thereby enabling them to be used in a wide range of applications.

Protein-Based Nanoparticles as Drug Delivery Systems

Nanoparticles have been extensively used as carriers for the delivery of chemicals and biomolecular drugs, such as anticancer drugs and therapeutic proteins. Natural biomolecules, such as proteins, are an attractive alternative to synthetic polymers commonly used in nanoparticle formulation because of their safety. In general, protein nanoparticles offer many advantages, such as biocompatibility and biodegradability. Moreover, the preparation of protein nanoparticles and the corresponding encapsulation process involved mild conditions without the use of toxic chemicals or organic solvents. Protein nanoparticles can be generated using proteins, such as fibroins, albumin, gelatin, gliadine, legumin, 30Kc19, lipoprotein, and ferritin proteins, and are prepared through emulsion, electrospray, and desolvation methods. This review introduces the proteins used and methods used in generating protein nanoparticles and compares the corresponding advantages and disadvantages of each.

Antitumor Features of Vegetal Protein-Based Nanotherapeutics

The introduction of nanotechnology into pharmaceutical application revolutionized the administration of antitumor drugs through the modulation of their accumulation in specific organs/body compartments, a decrease in their side-effects and their controlled release from innovative systems. The use of plant-derived proteins as innovative, safe and renewable raw materials to be used for the development of polymeric nanoparticles unlocked a new scenario in the drug delivery field. In particular, the reduced size of the colloidal systems combined with the peculiar properties of non-immunogenic polymers favored the characterization and evaluation of the pharmacological activity of the novel nanoformulations. The aim of this review is to describe the physico-chemical properties of nanoparticles composed of vegetal proteins used to retain and deliver anticancer drugs, together with the most important preparation methods and the pharmacological features of these potential nanomedicines.

Plant protein-based hydrophobic fine and ultrafine carrier particles in drug delivery systems

For thousands of years, plants and their products have been used as the mainstay of medicinal therapy. In recent years, besides attempts to isolate the active ingredients of medicinal plants, other new applications of plant products, such as their use to prepare drug delivery vehicles, have been discovered. Nanobiotechnology is a branch of pharmacology that can provide new approaches for drug delivery by the preparation of biocompatible carrier nanoparticles (NPs). In this article, we review recent studies with four important plant proteins that have been used as carriers for targeted delivery of drugs and genes. Zein is a water-insoluble protein from maize; Gliadin is a 70% alcohol-soluble protein from wheat and corn; legumin is a casein-like protein from leguminous seeds such as peas; lectins are glycoproteins naturally occurring in many plants that recognize specific carbohydrate residues. NPs formed from these proteins show good biocompatibility, possess the ability to enhance solubility, and provide sustained release of drugs and reduce their toxicity and side effects. The effects of preparation methods on the size and loading capacity of these NPs are also described in this review.

Self-assembly of glycinin nanoparticles for delivery of phenolic compounds from Phyllanthus urinaria

Glycinin nanoparticles for delivery of phenolic compounds from Phyllanthus urinaria.

Nanoparticles synthesized from soy protein: preparation, characterization, and application for nutraceutical encapsulation

Nanoparticles were synthesized from soy protein, one of the most abundant and widely utilized plant proteins, for nutraceutical and drug encapsulation. The preparation process consisted of dispersion, desolvation, drug incorporation, cross-linking, and evaporation. The role of each procedure in the formation of nanoparticles was systematically investigated by means of particle size, size distribution, and zeta potential as well as morphology observation. Curcumin as a model drug was encapsulated successfully into the nanoparticles, evidenced by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction patterns. The average size of the curcumin-loaded nanoparticles was 220.1 to 286.7 nm, and their zeta potential was around -36 mV. The highest encapsulation efficiency and loading efficiency achieved were 97.2% and 2.7%, respectively. The release of curcumin in phosphate buffer saline followed a biphasic pattern. Possible mechanisms of the formation of soy protein nanoparticles as well as the incorporation of curcumin were discussed based on the data obtained from this study.

Formulation and characterization of amphotericin B-polyethylenimine-dextran sulfate nanoparticles

A new aqueous nanoparticle system has been developed using complex coacervation employing the oppositely charged polymers polyethylenimine (PEI) and dextran sulfate (DS), with zinc sulfate as a stabilizing agent. Amphotericin B (AmB) was loaded into the nanoparticles as a model drug. The nanoparticles contained PEI and DS in the weight ratio of approximately 1:2. They possessed a zeta potential of approximately +30 mV and demonstrated a narrow size distribution in the range 100-600 nm with a polydispersity index of 0.2. Electron microscopy revealed spherical nanocapsules with a smooth surface. Very favorable drug entrapment and recovery efficiencies of up to 85% were routinely observed. Processing parameters, such as the pH of the PEI solutions, ratio of the two polymers, as well as the concentrations of DS and zinc sulfate, all played a significant role in controlling particle size. Dissolution studies demonstrated a fast release that is dependent on the model drug solubility. The AmB-loaded nanoparticles displayed no toxicity in tissue culture in contrast to free drug and were almost as efficacious as free drug in killing Candida albicans. Advantages of this simple technique are (1) ease of manufacturing and mild preparation conditions, (2) employment of completely aqueous processing conditions, (3) use of biocompatible polymers that can be prepared aseptically, (4) ability to control their size, and (5) a high level of drug entrapment.