ABSTRACT
The dissolution rate of the anti-HIV drug saquinavir base (SQV), a poorly water-soluble and extremely low absolute bioavailability drug, was improved through a eutectic mixture formation approach. A screening based on a liquid-assisted grinding technique was performed using a 1:1 molar ratio of the drug and the coformers sodium saccharinate, theobromine, nicotinic acid, nicotinamide, vanillin, vanillic acid, and piperine (PIP), followed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Given that SQV-PIP was the only resulting eutectic system from the screening, both the binary phase and the Tammann diagrams were adapted to this system using DSC data of mixtures prepared from 0.1 to 1.0 molar ratios in order to determine the exact eutectic composition. The SQV-PIP system formed a eutectic at a composition of 0.6 and 0.40, respectively. Then, a solid-state characterization through DSC, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), including small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements to explore the small-angle region in detail, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and a powder dissolution test were performed. The conventional PXRD analyses suggested that the eutectic mixture did not exhibit structural changes; however, the small-angle region explored through the SAXS instrument revealed a change in the crystal structure of one of their components. FT-IR spectra showed no molecular interaction in the solid state. Finally, the dissolution profile of SQV in the eutectic mixture was different from the dissolution of pure SQV. After 45 min, approximately 55% of the drug in the eutectic mixture was dissolved, while, for pure SQV, 42% dissolved within this time. Hence, this study concludes that the dissolution rate of SQV can be effectively improved through the approach of using PIP as a coformer.
ABSTRACT
Poor solubility and short biological half-life present a challenge that needs to be overcome in order to improve the recognized bioactivities of curcumin (CUR), the main phenolic compounds derived from the roots of Curcuma longa. However, drug delivery systems have proven to be an excellent strategy to improve and obtain greater bioavailability. Our previous studies on curcuminoid hybrid nanoparticles have shown promising results by significantly increasing the solubility of desmethoxycurcumin (DMC) and bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDM). In this contribution, we performed a detailed characterization of a CUR as well as in vitro and in vivo studies. The developed method produced CUR loaded nanoparticles with an average size of 49.46 ± 0.80. Moreover, the FT-IR analysis confirmed the encapsulation, and TEM images showed their spherical shape. The NP achieved an encapsulation efficiency greater than 99%. Further, the release studies found that the NPs obtained a significantly higher release than the pure compounds in water. In vivo delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) studies showed promising results by enhancing the immune activity response of CUR in NP compared to bulk CUR. Furthermore, we report a significant increase in antioxidant activity for CUR-NP in aqueous solution compared to free CUR. Finally, an important in vitro cytotoxic effect on gastric AGS and colon SW620 adenocarcinoma cell lines was found for CUR-NP while empty carrier nanoparticles are observed to exhibit low cytotoxicity, indicating the potential of these CUR-PLU NPs for further studies to assess their phytotherapeutic applications.
ABSTRACT
There is increasing interest in research of secondary metabolites from Physalis peruviana (Cape gooseberry) because of their potential bioactivities. In this study, the profile of compounds found in fruits and husks from Costa Rica was determined through ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry using a quadrupole time-of-flight analyzer (UPLC-ESI-QTOF MS) on extracts (n = 10) obtained through pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) conditions. In total, 66 different compounds were identified, comprising 34 withanolides, 23 sucrose ester derivatives and 9 flavonoids. UPLC-DAD analysis was performed to determine the ß-carotene in fruits and to quantify the flavonoids in all 10 samples, with the results showing higher contents in samples from the Dota region (58.6−60.1 µg/g of dry material versus 1.6−2.8 mg/g of dry material). The Folin−Ciocalteau total polyphenolic content (FC) and antioxidant activity using the DPPH method showed better results for the husk extracts, with the ones from the Dota region holding the best values (4.3−5.1 mg GAE/g of dry material versus IC50 = 1.6−2.3 mg of dry material/mL). In addition, a significant negative correlation was found between the RU, FC and DPPH values (r = −0.902, p < 0.05), aligning with previous reports on the role of polyphenols in antioxidant activity. Principal correlation analysis (PCoA) and hierarchical clustering (HC) analysis were performed on HRMS results, and they indicated that the D1 and D2 fruit samples from the Dota region were clustered with husks related to a higher presence of the analyzed metabolites. In turn, principal component analysis (PCA) performed on the flavonoid content and antioxidant activity yielded results indicating that the D1 and D2 husks and fruit samples from the Dota region stood out significantly, showing the highest antioxidant activity. In summation, our findings suggest that P. peruviana husks and fruits from Costa Rica constitute a substrate of interest for further studies on their potential health benefits.
Subject(s)
Physalis , Ribes , Antioxidants/chemistry , Costa Rica , Flavonoids/chemistry , Fruit/chemistry , Physalis/chemistry , Plant Extracts/chemistryABSTRACT
Previous studies in Uncaria tomentosa have shown promising results concerning the characterization of polyphenols with leaves yielding more diverse proanthocyanidins and higher bioactivities values. However, the polyphenols-microbiota interaction at the colonic level and their catabolites avoid the beneficial effects that can be exerted by this medicinal plant when consumed. In this regard, a new generation of hybrid nanoparticles has demonstrated improvements in natural compounds' activity by increasing their bioavailability. In this line, we report a detailed study of the characterization of a proanthocyanidin-enriched extract (PA-E) from U. tomentosa leaves from Costa Rica using UPLC-QTOF-ESI MS. Moreover, two types of hybrid nanoparticles, a polymeric-lipid (F-1) and a protein-lipid (F-2) loaded with PA-E were synthesized and their characterization was conducted by dynamic light scattering (DLS), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FT-IR), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), and encapsulation efficiency (%EE). In addition, in vitro release, antioxidant activity through 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhidrazyl (DPPH) as well as in vivo delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction was evaluated. Results allowed the identification of 50 different compounds. The PA-E loaded nanoparticles F-1 and F-2 achieved encapsulation efficiency of ≥92%. The formulations exhibited porosity and spherical shapes with a size average of 26.1 ± 0.8 and 11.8 ± 3.3 nm for F-1 and F-2, respectively. PA-E increased its release rate from the nanoparticles compared to the free extract in water and antioxidant activity in an aqueous solution. In vivo, the delayed-type hypersensitive test shows the higher immune stimulation of the flavan-3-ols with higher molecular weight from U. tomentosa when administered as a nanoformulation, resulting in augmented antigen-specific responses. The present work constitutes to our knowledge, the first report on these bioactivities for proanthocyanidins from Uncaria tomentosa leaves when administrated by nanosystems, hence, enhancing the cellular response in mice, confirming their role in immune modulation.
ABSTRACT
Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) lipid hybrid nanoparticles are part of the new solutions to overcome low bioavailability of poor solubility drugs such as curcuminoids, which possess multiple biological advantages; however, they are counterbalanced by its short biological half-life. In this line, we prepared the three main curcuminoids: curcumin (CUR), desmethoxycurcumin (DMC), and bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDM)-loaded BSA nanoparticles. The three formulations were characterized by the average size, size distribution, crystallinity, weight loss, drug release, kinetic mechanism, and antioxidant activity. The developed method produced CUR-, DMC-, and BDM-loaded BSA nanoparticles with a size average of 15.83 ± 0.18, 17.29 ± 3.34, and 15.14 ± 0.14 nm for CUR, DMC, and BDM loaded BSA, respectively. FT-IR analysis confirmed the encapsulation, and TEM images showed their spherical shape. The three formulations achieved encapsulation efficiency upper to 96% and an exhibited significantly increased release from the nanoparticle compared to free compounds in water. The antioxidant activity was enhanced as well, in agreement with the improvement in water release, obtaining IC50 values of 9.28, 11.70, and 15.19 µg/mL for CUR, DMC, and BDM loaded BSA nanoparticles, respectively, while free curcuminoids exhibited considerably lower antioxidant values in aqueous solution. Hence, this study shows promises for such hybrid systems, which have been ignored so far, regarding proper encapsulation, protection, and delivery of curcuminoids for the development of functional foods and pharmaceuticals.
Subject(s)
Curcumin , Nanoparticles , Antioxidants/pharmacology , Curcuma , Curcumin/pharmacology , Diarylheptanoids , Particle Size , Serum Albumin, Bovine , Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared , WaterABSTRACT
Curcuma longa constitutes an important source of secondary metabolites that have been associated with multiple health benefits. For instance, curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin, have been found to perform important biological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial, antihypertensive and anticoagulant. These promising results prompted this research to evaluate the polyphenols of C. longa rhizomes in Costa Rica. The present work reports a comprehensive study on the polyphenolic profile and the contents of the three main curcuminoids as well as the antioxidant activity of extracts from C. longa rhizomes (n = 12) produced in Costa Rica. Through UPLC-QTOF-ESI MS, a total of 33 polyphenols were identified, grouped in eight types of structures. In addition, our findings on the main curcuminoids using UPLC-DAD show all rhizomes complying with total curcuminoids (TC) content established by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP). At an individual level, samples NW-3 and NE-1 show the higher contents (118.7 and 125.0 mg/g dry material), representing more than twice the average values of the lowest samples. These samples also exhibit the highest Folin−Ciocalteu (FC) reducing capacity results as well as the best DPPH (IC50 15.21 and 16.07 µg extract/mL) and NO (IC50 between 52.5 and 54.3 µg extract/mL) antioxidant values. Further, Pearson correlation analysis findings indicated positive correlation (p < 0.05) between TC, CUR with FC results (r = 0.833 and r = 0.867 respectively) and negative correlation (p < 0.05) between CUR, TC and FC with DPPH results (r = −0.898, r = −0.911, and r = −0.890, respectively) and between NO results and DPPH (r = −0.805, p < 0.05). Finally, results for Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed composition variability associated with their region of origin with products from the Northeastern (NE) region exhibiting higher average values for FC, TC and antioxidant activities. Further, PCA confirmed that two samples, namely NE-1 and NW-3, stand out by presenting the highest PC1 due to their particularly high TC, CUR and antioxidant activities. Consequently, our findings agree with previous results indicating the importance of C. longa extracts to elaborate products with potential benefits for health, while delivering extracts with higher levels of curcuminoids than previous reports and exhibiting high antioxidant activity.
ABSTRACT
Piperine (PIP) was evaluated as a natural coformer in the preparation of multicomponent organic materials for enhancing solubility and dissolution rate of the poorly water-soluble drugs: curcumin (CUR), lovastatin (LOV), and irbesartan (IBS). A screening based on liquid assisted grinding technique was performed using 1:1 drug-PIP molar ratio mixtures, followed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) analyses. Three eutectic mixtures (EMs) composed of CUR-PIP, LOV-PIP, and IBS-PIP were obtained. Therefore, binary phase and Tamman's diagrams were constructed for each system to obtain the exact eutectic composition, which was 0.41:0.59, 0.29:0.71, and 0.31:0.69 for CUR-PIP, LOV-PIP, and IBS-PIP, respectively. Further, bulk materials of each system were prepared to characterize them through DSC, PXRD fully, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and solution-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. In addition, the contact angle, solubility, and dissolution rate of each system were evaluated. The preserved characteristic in the PXRD patterns and FT-IR spectra of the bulk material of each system confirmed the formation of EM mixture without molecular interaction in solid-state. The formation of EM resulted in improved aqueous solubility and dissolution rate associated with the increased wettability observed by the decrease in contact angle. In addition, solution NMR analyses of CUR-PIP, LOV-PIP, and IBS-PIP suggested no significant intermolecular interactions in solution between the components of the EM. Hence, this study concludes that PIP could be an effective coformer to improve the solubility and dissolution rate of CUR, LOV, and IBS.
Subject(s)
Curcumin , Irbesartan , Lovastatin , Piperidines , Alkaloids , Benzodioxoles , Cardiovascular Diseases , Curcumin/chemistry , Irbesartan/chemistry , Piperidines/chemistry , Polyunsaturated Alkamides/chemistry , Powders/chemistry , Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared , Lovastatin/chemistryABSTRACT
There is increasing interest in research into fruits as sources of secondary metabolites because of their potential bioactivities. In this study, the phenolic profiles of Malus domestica Anna and Jonagold cultivars from Costa Rica were determined by Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS) using a quadrupole-time-of-flight analyzer (UPLC-QTOF-ESI MS), on enriched-phenolic extracts from skins and flesh, obtained through Pressurized Liquid Extraction (PLE). In total, 48 different phenolic compounds were identified in the skin and flesh extracts, comprising 17 flavan-3-ols, 12 flavonoids, 4 chalcones, 1 glycosylated isoprenoid and 14 hydroxycinnamic acids and derivatives. Among extracts, the flesh of Jonagold exhibits a larger number of polyphenols and is especially rich in procyanidin trimers, tetramers and pentamers. Evaluating total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activities using ORAC and DPPH procedures yields higher values for this extract (608.8 mg GAE/g extract; 14.80 mmol TE/g extract and IC50 = 3.96 µg/mL, respectively). In addition, cytotoxicity evaluated against SW620 colon cancer cell lines and AGS gastric cancer cell lines also delivered better effects for Jonagold flesh (IC50 = 62.4 and 60.0 µg/mL, respectively). In addition, a significant negative correlation (p < 0.05) was found between TPC and cytotoxicity values against SW620 and AGS adenocarcinoma (r = -0.908, and -0.902, respectively). Furthermore, a significant negative correlation (p < 0.05) was also found between the number of procyanidins and both antioxidant activities and cytotoxicity towards SW620 (r = -0.978) and AGS (r = -0.894) cell lines. These results align with Jonagold flesh exhibiting the highest abundance in procyanidin oligomers and yielding better cytotoxic and antioxidant results. In sum, our findings suggest the need for further studies on these Costa Rican apple extracts-and particularly on the extracts from Jonagold flesh-to increase the knowledge on their potential benefits for health.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/analysis , Antioxidants/analysis , Malus/chemistry , Polyphenols/analysis , Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic/pharmacology , Antioxidants/pharmacology , Cell Line, Tumor , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid , Costa Rica , Humans , Mass Spectrometry , Neoplasms/drug therapy , Plant Extracts/analysis , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Polyphenols/pharmacologyABSTRACT
There is an increased interest in plum research because of their metabolites' potential bioactivities. In this study, the phenolic profiles of Prunus domestica commercial cultivars (Methley, Pisardii and Satsuma) in Costa Rica were determined by Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with High Resolution Mass Spectrometry using a quadrupole-time-of-flight analyzer (UPLC-ESI-QTOF MS) on enriched phenolic extracts obtained through Pressurized Liquid Extraction (PLE) under acidic and neutral extraction conditions. In total, 41 different phenolic compounds were identified in the skin and flesh extracts, comprising 11 flavan-3-ols, 14 flavonoids and 16 hydroxycinnamic acids and derivatives. Neutral extractions for the skins and flesh from all of the cultivars yielded a larger number of compounds, and were particularly rich in the number of procyanidin trimers and tetramers when compared to the acid extractions. The total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant potential using the DPPH and ORAC methods exhibited better results for neutral extracts with Satsuma skins and Methley flesh, which showed the best values (685.0 and 801.6 mg GAE/g extract; IC50 = 4.85 and 4.39 µg/mL; and 12.55 and 12.22 mmol TE/g extract, respectively). A Two-Way ANOVA for cytotoxicity towards AGS gastric adenocarcinoma and SW620 colon adenocarcinoma indicated a significant difference (p < 0.05) for PLE conditions, with better results for neutral extractions, with Satsuma skin delivering the best results (IC50 = 60.7 and 46.7 µg/mL respectively) along with Methley flesh (IC50 = 76.3 and 60.9 µg/mL, respectively). In addition, a significant positive correlation was found between TPC and ORAC (r = 0.929, p < 0.05), as well as a significant negative correlation (p < 0.05) between TPC and cytotoxicity towards AGS and SW620 cell lines (r = -0.776, and -0.751, respectively). A particularly high, significant, negative correlation (p < 0.05) was found between the number of procyanidins and cytotoxicity against the AGS (r = -0.868) and SW620 (r = -0.855) cell lines. Finally, the PCA clearly corroborated that neutral extracts are a more homogenous group exhibiting higher antioxidant and cytotoxic results regardless of the part or cultivar; therefore, our findings suggest that PLE extracts under neutral conditions would be of interest for further studies on their potential health benefits.