Abstract
(1) Background: Nanotechnology is an emerging field that can be applied in the biomedical area. In this study, Eudragit nanocapsules (NCs) containing nicotine were produced. Nicotine is the main alkaloid found in tobacco and has anti-inflammatory properties. NCs containing nicotine may be used as an adjuvant therapy in the treatment of inflammation in the central nervous system. (2) Methods: Nanocapsules were prepared by the interfacial deposition of the pre-formed polymer method and characterized in terms of zeta potential, diameter, polydispersity index, pH, encapsulation efficiency (EE), stability and sustained release profile. In vitro tests with the PC12 cell line were performed, such as MTT, LIVE/DEAD and ELISA assays, to verify their cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory effects. (3) Results: The nanocapsules presented satisfactory values of the characterization parameters; however, poor encapsulation was obtained for nicotine (8.17% ± 0.47). The in vitro tests showed that the treatment with nanocapsules reduced cell viability, which suggests that the Eudragit or the amount of polymer on top of the cells may be detrimental to them, as the cells were able to survive when treated with bulk nicotine. ELISA showed an increment in the expression of IL-6 and IL-1β, corroborating the hypothesis that NCs were toxic to the cells because of the increase in the levels of these pro-inflammatory cytokines. (4) Conclusions: This study demonstrates that NCs of Eudragit present toxicity. It is therefore necessary to improve NC formulation to obtain better values for the encapsulation efficiency and reduce toxicity of these nanodevices.
Highlights
Nanotechnology is an emerging interdisciplinary field that combines chemistry, physics, engineering and biology and has been extensively used in recent years in the health research area. It aims to create functional materials by controlling the matter in the nanometer scale, producing materials with new chemical, physical and biological properties. It can be used in the biomedical area to produce nanodevices or nanorobots, which are useful in diagnostic procedures; nanotechnology is used to produce scaffolds or matrices utilized in regenerative medicine to mimic the extracellular matrix [1,2]
They can be employed to improve the biocompatibility of biological systems such as prosthetics, and nanotechnology is extremely useful for the production of sustained release devices for pharmaceutical compounds [1]
Nanocapsule suspensions of Eudragit only or containing nicotine were prepared and Nanocapsule suspensions of Eudragit only or containing nicotine were prepared and appeared as white opaque fluids, similar to milk, with a blue reflex due to the Tyndall appeared as white opaque fluids, similar to milk, with a blue reflex due to the Tyndall effect effect
Summary
Nanotechnology is an emerging interdisciplinary field that combines chemistry, physics, engineering and biology and has been extensively used in recent years in the health research area It aims to create functional materials by controlling the matter in the nanometer scale, producing materials with new chemical, physical and biological properties. It can be used in the biomedical area to produce nanodevices or nanorobots, which are useful in diagnostic procedures; nanotechnology is used to produce scaffolds or matrices utilized in regenerative medicine to mimic the extracellular matrix [1,2]. Some of them include better therapeutic efficacy; reduction of side effects and toxicity reduction; reduction of early inactivation of drugs; better targeting of the drug to the target tissue; ease of transposing biological barriers; and greater versatility, as it is possible to encapsulate lipophilic and hydrophilic compounds, among others [1]
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