Biocompatibility and Antimicrobial Activity of Nanostructured Lipid Carriers for Topical Applications Are Affected by Type of Oils Used in Their Composition

Lipid Nanoparticles Carrying Essential Oils for Multiple Applications as Antimicrobials

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are versatile delivery systems with high interest because they allow the release of hydrophobic and hydrophilic molecules, such as essential oils (EOs) and plant extracts. This review covers published works between 2019 and 2024 that have reported the use of essential EO-based LNPs with antimicrobial properties and applications in human and animal health, as well as biopesticides. In the human healthcare field, reports have addressed the effect of encapsulating EOs in lipid nanosystems with antiviral, antibacterial, antiprotozoal and antifungal activities. In animal care, this still needs to be more deeply explored while looking for more sustainable alternatives against different types of parasites that affect animal health. Overall, the antibacterial activities of LNPs carrying EOs are described as alternatives to the use of synthetic antibiotics. In the field of agriculture, studies showed that these approaches in the control of phytopathogens and other pests that affect food production. There is a growing demand for innovative and more sustainable technologies. However, there are still some challenges to be overcome in order to allow these innovations to reach the market.

Leveraging nanostructured lipid carriers to enhance targeted delivery and efficacy in breast cancer therapy: a comprehensive review

Cancer, characterized by uncontrolled cell growth and proliferation, continues to be a major global health concern. Breast cancer, the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women, remains a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Conventional treatment modalities such as surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy have made significant strides in improving patient outcomes. However, these approaches often face challenges such as limited efficacy, systemic toxicity, and multidrug resistance. Nanotechnology has emerged as a promising avenue for revolutionizing cancer therapy, offering targeted drug delivery, enhanced efficacy, and reduced side effects. Among the various nanocarrier systems, nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) have gained considerable attention for their unique advantages. Comprising a blend of solid and liquid lipids, NLCs offer improved drug loading capacity, enhanced stability, sustained release, and biocompatibility. This manuscript provides a comprehensive overview of the role of NLCs in breast cancer management, covering their formulation, methods of preparation, advantages, and disadvantages. Additionally, several studies are presented to illustrate the efficacy of NLCs in delivering anticancer drugs to breast tumors. These studies demonstrate the ability of NLCs to enhance drug cytotoxicity, improve tumor suppression, and minimize systemic toxicity. This manuscript aims to contribute to the existing literature by consolidating current knowledge and providing insights into the future directions of NLC-based therapeutics in breast cancer management.

Bee pollen peptides as potent tyrosinase inhibitors with anti-melanogenesis effects in murine b16f10 melanoma cells and zebrafish embryos

One important functional food ingredient today, valued for its health properties and ability to prevent disease, is bee pollen, which comprises a combination of nectar, pollen from plants, and the secretions of bees. In this research, the tyrosinase (TYR) inhibiting abilities of the peptides derived from bee pollen protein hydrolysates are investigated. Various proteases were utilized to generate these peptides, followed by testing at different concentrations. Tyrosinase inhibition activity was detected in all cases, while the hydrolysate drawn from 5.0% w/v neutrase exhibited the best IC50 value and was thus investigated further via ultrafiltration to separate the active fractions. The highest potential for tyrosinase inhibition was recorded for the fractions below 0.65 kDa. Subsequent purification steps via SEC and RP-HPLC led to the identification of the VDGYPAAGY (named VY-9) peptide via LC-Q-TOF-MS/MS in fraction F1-2, known for its non-toxic and hydrophobic characteristics albeit poor water solubility. The synthesized VY-9 peptide demonstrated competitive inhibition, with IC50 values of 0.55 ± 0.03 µM for mono-phenolase and 2.54 ± 0.06 µM for di-phenolase activities, as confirmed by molecular docking analysis revealing dominant hydrogen bond interactions with TYR. Effective concentrations of 0.2-1.6 µM of VY-9 showed negligible cytotoxicity in B16F10 cells. Melanin synthesis suppression was examined via qRT-PCR, and western blot in MITF, TYR, TRP-1, and TRP-2. Cell death in zebrafish embryos was evaluated in vivo using a toxicity assay which revealed no significant influence from VY-9, while anti-melanogenic effects were observed when the concentration was 4 µM, suggesting bee pollen-derived peptides' potential in cosmetic and pharmaceutical depigmentation applications.

Lipid Nanoparticle Formulations for the Skin Delivery of Cannabidiol

Background/Objectives: The aims of this work were to formulate cannabidiol in different lipid carriers for skin delivery after topical application and to study their stability, interaction with the skin, and antibacterial activity. Methods: Solid lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers loaded with cannabidiol were prepared and characterized in terms of their physicochemical properties, colloidal stability, protection of the antioxidant capacity of cannabidiol, as well as their retention over time. Skin penetration was assessed using an in vitro model with human skin. The antibacterial activity was tested against Staphylococcus aureus and compared to free cannabidiol. Results: Three nanoformulations exhibited the best size and reproducibility values and were selected for further studies. The formulations were stable, protected the active ingredient, succeeded in delivering it to deep skin layers, and demonstrated antibacterial activity. Conclusions: These cannabidiol nanoformulations show potential for use in skin diseases and conditions, as they protect the active ingredient, enhance its delivery to the skin, and exhibit antibacterial effects.

Design and Biocompatibility of Biodegradable Poly(octamethylene suberate) Nanoparticles to Treat Skin Diseases

Biodegradable aliphatic polyester formulations as carriers for topical drug delivery show the potential to encapsulate structurally different therapeutic compounds. Poly(octamethylene suberate) (POS) nanoparticles (POS-NPs) were used as a matrix to encapsulate four therapeutic molecules used to treat skin disorders: caffeine (CF), quercetin (QR), hydrocortisone (HC), and adapalene (AD). Hydrophobicity and chemical structure of bioactive compounds (BCs) influenced the physicochemical stability of drug-loaded nanoparticles. The particle size of drug-loaded nanoparticles was between 254.9 nm for the CF-POS-NP and 1291.3 for QR-POS-NP. Particles had a negative charge from -27.6 mV (QR) to -49.2 mV (HC). Drug loading content for all BC-POS-NPs varies between 36.11 ± 1.48% (CF-POS-NP) and 66.66 ± 4.87% (AD-POS-NP), and their entrapment efficiency is relatively high (28.30 ± 1.81% and 99.95 ± 0.04%, respectively). Calorimetric analysis showed the appearance of polymorphism for AD- and HC-loaded systems and the drug's complete solubilisation into all nanoparticle formulations. FTIR and NMR spectra showed apparent drug incorporation into the polymer matrix of NPs. The encapsulation of BCs enhanced the antioxidative effect. The prepared POS nanoparticles' cytotoxicity was studied using two dermal cell lines, keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells and fibroblasts (HDFn). The nanoparticle cytotoxic effect was more substantial on HaCaT cell lines. A reconstructed human epidermis (RHE) was successfully used to investigate the penetration of polymeric NPs. Based on permeation and histology studies, HC-POS-NPs and CF-POS-NPs were shown not to be suitable for dermal applications with the explored drug concentrations. AD presents a high permeation rate and no toxic impact on RHE.

Antitumor activity of essential oils-based nanostructured lipid carriers on prostate cancer cells

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most frequent malignancy in men worldwide. Essential oils (EOs) are natural products which can act in cancer suppression by several mechanisms. In this work, a nanotechnological approach was used to develop and evaluate the antineoplastic effects of EOs loaded by nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs). Three different NLC systems composed of cinnamon, sage or thyme EOs were optimized using factorial design (23). The optimal formulations were characterized in terms of biophysical parameters, structure, stability, in vivo safety and efficacy. All optimized NLC formulations exhibited excellent structural properties and stability over a year (25 °C). They proved to be in vitro and in vivo biocompatible on PNT2 normal prostate cells and on chicken embryos (CE), respectively. In PC3 PCa cells, optimized NLCs inhibited cell proliferation and migration and changed its morphology. In CE xenograft tumor, NLCs have inhibited tumor growth and angiogenesis. The results from this work suggested that all developed EO-based NLC formulations had their stability improved while the biological activity remains unchanged.

Metal coordinating-induced self-assembly of cyclic lipopeptides into high-performance antimicrobial supramolecules

This study designed a green hydrothermally-chelating approach to generate robust antimicrobial complexes via metal-coordinated supramolecular self-assembly of cyclic lipopeptides (CLs). The metal ion (Ca²⁺ and Zn²⁺)-coordinated CL (Ca/CL or Zn/CL complex; 1 mg/mL) demonstrated potent antibacterial activity against fungi (A. niger) and bacteria (E. coli and S. aureus) respectively, and in particular, completely suppressed the microbial resistance. Further physicochemical and spectal analysis showed that this coordination approach led to CL with enhanced hydrophobic and intermolecular electrostatic interactions, forming β-sheet-rich secondary structures allowing the complexes easily contact with and destroy the membrane of microorganisms. Practical application experiments validated that the Ca/CL and Zn/CL complexes strongly avoided table grape and fresh tomato from the contamination of pathogen. The findings of this study laid foundation for the utilization of metal ions to improve the biological activity of natural antimicrobial peptides.

Novel Bovine Serum Albumin-Decorated-Nanostructured Lipid Carriers Able to Modulate Apoptosis and Cell-Cycle Response in Ovarian, Breast, and Colon Tumoral Cells

A novel nanoscale approach was developed for the improved cellular internalization of hybrid bovine serum albumin-lipid nanocarriers loaded with piperine (NLC-Pip-BSA) in different tumor cells. The effect of the BSA-targeted-NLC-Pip and untargeted-NLC-Pip on the viability, proliferation, and levels of cell-cycle damage and apoptosis in the colon (LoVo), ovarian (SKOV3) and breast (MCF7) adenocarcinoma cell lines was comparatively discussed. NLCs were characterized concerning particle size, morphology, zeta potential, phytochemical encapsulation efficiency, ATR-FTIR, and fluorescence spectroscopy. The results showed that NLC-Pip-BSA showed a mean size below 140 nm, a zeta potential of -60 mV, and an entrapment efficiency of 81.94% for NLC-Pip and 80.45% for NLC-Pip-BSA. Fluorescence spectroscopy confirmed the coating of the NLC with the albumin. By MTS and RTCA assays, NLC-Pip-BSA showed a more pronounced response against the LoVo colon cell line and MCF-7 breast tumor cell lines than against the ovarian SKOV-3 cell line. Flow cytometry assay demonstrated that the targeted NLC-Pip had more cytotoxicity and improved apoptosis than the untargeted ones in MCF-7 tumor cells (p < 0.05). NLC-Pip caused a significant increase in MCF-7 breast tumor cell apoptosis of ~8X, while NLC-Pip-BSA has shown an 11-fold increase in apoptosis.

Metallic Nanosystems in the Development of Antimicrobial Strategies with High Antimicrobial Activity and High Biocompatibility

Antimicrobial resistance is a major and growing global problem and new approaches to combat infections caused by antibiotic resistant bacterial strains are needed. In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to nanomedicine, which has great potential in the development of controlled systems for delivering drugs to specific sites and targeting specific cells, such as pathogenic microbes. There is continued interest in metallic nanoparticles and nanosystems based on metallic nanoparticles containing antimicrobial agents attached to their surface (core shell nanosystems), which offer unique properties, such as the ability to overcome microbial resistance, enhancing antimicrobial activity against both planktonic and biofilm embedded microorganisms, reducing cell toxicity and the possibility of reducing the dosage of antimicrobials. The current review presents the synergistic interactions within metallic nanoparticles by functionalizing their surface with appropriate agents, defining the core structure of metallic nanoparticles and their use in combination therapy to fight infections. Various approaches to modulate the biocompatibility of metallic nanoparticles to control their toxicity in future medical applications are also discussed, as well as their ability to induce resistance and their effects on the host microbiome.

Effect of Chicken Egg White-Derived Peptide and Hydrolysates on Abnormal Skin Pigmentation during Wound Recovery

Abnormal skin pigmentation commonly occurs during the wound healing process due to the overproduction of melanin. Chicken egg white (CEW) has long been used to improve skin health. Previous published works had found CEW proteins house bioactive peptides that inhibit tyrosinase, the key enzyme of melanogenesis. The current study aimed to evaluate the anti-pigmentation potential and mechanism of the CEW-derived peptide (GYSLGNWVCAAK) and hydrolysates (CEWH_mono and CEWH_di), using a cell-based model. All of these peptide and hydrolysates inhibited intracellular tyrosinase activity and melanin level up to 45.39 ± 1.31 and 70.01 ± 1.00%, respectively. GYSLGNWVCAAK and CEWH_di reduced intracellular cAMP levels by 13.38 ± 3.65 and 14.55 ± 2.82%, respectively; however, CEWH_mono did not affect cAMP level. Moreover, the hydrolysates downregulated the mRNA expression of melanogenesis-related genes, such as Mitf, Tyr, Trp-1 and Trp-2, but GYSLGNWVCAAK only suppressed Tyr gene expression. Downregulation of the genes may lower the catalytic activities and/or affect the structural stability of TYR, TRP-1 and TRP-2; thus, impeding melanogenesis to cause an anti-pigmentation effect in the cell. Outcomes from the current study could serve as the starting point to understand the underlying complex, multifaceted melanogenesis regulatory mechanism at the cellular level.

Plant-derived nanoparticles as alternative therapy against Diarrheal pathogens in the era of antimicrobial resistance: A review

Diarrhea is a condition in which feces is discharged from the bowels frequently and in a liquid form. It is one of the frequent causes of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. The impact of Diarrhea is worsened by the increasing incidence of antimicrobial resistance among the causative agents, and this is now categorized as a global healthcare challenge. Antimicrobial resistance among Diarrheal pathogens also contributes to extended infection durations, and huge economic loss even in countries with advanced public health policies. The ever-increasing incidence of antimicrobial resistance including the contraindications arising from the administration of antibiotics in some Diarrheal cases highlights a crucial need for the development of novel non-antibiotic alternative agents for therapeutic and biocontrol applications. One such intervention includes the application of plant-derived nanoparticles (PDNPs) with novel antimicrobial properties. Given their small size and large surface area to volume ratio, PDNPs can attack target bacterial cell walls to generate reactive oxygen species that may simultaneously disrupt bacteria cell components such as DNA and proteins leading to cell damage or death. This potential can make it very difficult for pathogenic organisms to develop resistance against these antibacterial agents. In this review, we provide a critical overview on the antimicrobial resistance crisis among Diarrheagenic bacteria. We also discuss the evidence from the existing literature to support the potential associated with the use of PDNPs as alternative therapeutic agents for multidrug resistant and antibiotics administer contraindicated bacteria that are associated with Diarrhea.

Design of Quercetin-Loaded Natural Oil-Based Nanostructured Lipid Carriers for the Treatment of Bacterial Skin Infections

The biological activity of natural plant-oil-based nanostructured lipid carriers (NPO-NLCs) can be enhanced by the encapsulation of bioactive compounds, and they in turn can improve topical delivery of the drugs. Quercetin (QR), a vital plant flavonoid, expresses antibacterial properties, and we recently showed that empty NPO-NLCs also have antimicrobial activity. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the synergetic effect of loading natural plant-oil-based nanostructured lipid carriers with quercetin (QR-NPO-NLCs) as a topical delivery system for the treatment of bacterial skin infections. Five nanostructured lipid carrier systems containing different oils (sunflower, olive, corn, coconut, and castor) were engineered. The particles’ stability, structural properties, bioavailability, and antimicrobial activity were studied. NLCs with an average size of <200 nm and Z-potential of −40 mV were developed. Stable QR-NPO-NLCs were obtained with high encapsulation efficiency (>99%). The encapsulation of QR decreased cytotoxicity and increased the antioxidant effect of nanocarriers. An increase in antibacterial activity of the systems containing QR was demonstrated against Staphylococcus aureus. QR-NPO-NLCs could transport QR to an intranuclear location within HaCaT cells, indicating that QR-NPO-NLCs are promising candidates for controlled topical drug delivery.

In vitro safety evaluation of sunscreen formulation from nanostructured lipid carriers using human cells and skin model

There is a risk of toxicological reactions due to systemic absorption and photo-instability of sunscreens. The study aimed to investigate the safety profile (cytotoxicity, phototoxicity, photostability, UV filter release profile, and skin irritation properties) of sunscreen (NLC-TRF sunscreen) produced from nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) and tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF). The cytotoxicity and phototoxicity of the sunscreen were evaluated on normal human dermal fibroblast (NHDF) and skin irritation properties was tested on skin model. Besides, the photoprotection in pre- and post-UV irradiation were analysed to determine the photostability. Additionally, the release profile for UV filters (diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate (DHHB) and ethylhexyl triazone (EHT)) were evaluated. The NLC-TRF sunscreen demonstrated no cytotoxicity and skin irritation to cause cell death. It showed no phototoxic effect and high photostability up to 10 Minimal Erythema Dose (MED) to ensure high SPF value above 50 and broad-spectrum of UV absorption. The NLC-TRF sunscreen implies its safety for topical application with sustainable release profile for UV filter (cumulative release of 28% for DHHB and 40% for EHT after 8 h) due to the application of NLCs. The results suggest that the NLC-TRF sunscreen is an advanced formulation with improved stability and is safe for topical delivery.