Green synthesis and characterization of water soluble nanocarnosine: A prospective drug delivery system

Abstract

Carnosine is a biomimetic natural dipeptide known for its biocidal properties.The current study is aimed to develop and characterize a novel nanopeptide system using carnosine as a biocompatible drug carrier for host directed therapy (HDT) in pathological conditions like pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). Nanocarnosine was synthesized from native carnosine (5 mg) by hydrothermal process (incubated at 65 °C for 30 min; pH 5.3). The nanocarnosine in solution measured an average diameter of about ∼492 nm compared to that of the native form (∼952 nm). The adsorption and desorption signals exhibited mesoporosity with an average diameter of 43 nm and surface area of about 5.16 m²/g. SEM imaging shows upward orientation of nanorods from a nucleation point, measuring <50 nm in width and ≥500 nm in length. In-silico simulations established the stable structural profile for carnosine with low reactivity through electronic transitions, thereby validating the biophysical characteristics of in-vitro modelled nanocarnosine. In pathological conditions like PTB, the management of initial intense pro-inflammatory responses which could propably result in post-treatment lung diseases remain challenging. HDTs aid in balancing the lung inflammation without altering the treatment outcomes. Thus, the findings demonstrate the suitability of the nanopeptide system for further evaluation as a delivery vehicle in PTB.