Alginate-based Nanoparticles Research Articles

Performance assessment of rice-by product- derived methylene blue nano-carrier

Methylene blue has shown great applicability potential in medical purposes, moreover the environmental legislation is of heavy interest on utilizing agro wastes as a substrate for valuable products. In this respect controlling the release of MB by using agro waste is very essential. In this present work, the route for pulping the Rice straw and further application as a precursor in production of MB-nanocelluloses carriers was assessed. The RS-pulps produced from different pulping reagents (soda in absence and presence of additives, potassium hydroxide-ammonium hydroxide, sulphite and organosolv), were further oxidized with ammonium persulfate. FT-IR spectra, SEM and TGA were examined to evidence the changes occurred in NCs due to loaded by MB. The effective nanocelluloses were those produced from prescreening of RS as well as adding BH and AQ [NC (M- Na 2 O-AQ-BH pulp)] and AcOH organosolv pulps, where they provided 91% and 80 % for MB release, respectively. These values were greater than those reported by many literatures’ dependent on cellulose, nanographene oxide and alginate-based nanoparticles. The data of kinetic release showed that Ritger and Peppas kinetic was the best fitting release model of MB.

Alginate based Nanoparticles and Its Application in Drug Delivery Systems

Nanoparticulate systems made of biopolymers encompass promising properties as carriers and adjuvant for drug delivery. Alginate is one of the most widely investigated biomaterials in the field of nanoparticulate drug delivery due to its biodegradability, biocompatibility, and bioadhesivity. Alginate nanoparticles for drug delivery can be prepared through spray drying, ionic gelation, emulsification, covalent cross-linking, polyelectrolyte complexation, self-assembling, etc. Alginate is an extensively utilized biopolymer in multiple applications due to its gelling property and chemical structure with hydroxyl and carboxylate moieties. The biocompatibility, biodegradability of alginate, and solubility in water have broadened up research perspectives in material, and biomedical sciences. Study of alginate-based nanoparticles, nanoaggregates, and nanofibers initiated recently. In the present review, the physicochemical properties of alginate, which enabled its use as a pharmaceutical excipient and as nanocarriers in drug delivery, have been reviewed. A special insight has been given on the modern advances of alginate nanoparticles in drug delivery and drug targeting applications. Besides this, limitations of alginate as nanocarriers in drug delivery and the future perspectives on how to augment utilization in the pharmaceutical nanotechnology have also been reviewed.

Internalized FGF-2-Loaded Nanoparticles Increase Nuclear ERK1/2 Content and Result in Lung Cancer Cell Death.

Innovative cancer treatments, which improve adjuvant therapy and reduce adverse events, are desperately needed. Nanoparticles provide controlled intracellular biomolecule delivery in the absence of activating external cell surface receptors. Prior reports suggest that intracrine signaling, following overexpression of basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) after viral transduction, has a toxic effect on diseased cells. Herein, the research goals were to (1) encapsulate recombinant FGF-2 within stable, alginate-based nanoparticles (ABNs) for non-specific cellular uptake, and (2) determine the effects of ABN-mediated intracellular delivery of FGF-2 on cancer cell proliferation/survival. In culture, human alveolar adenocarcinoma basal epithelial cell line (A549s) and immortalized human bronchial epithelial cell line (HBE1s) internalized ABNs through non-selective endocytosis. Compared to A549s exposed to empty (i.e., blank) ABNs, the intracellular delivery of FGF-2 via ABNs significantly increased the levels of lactate dehydrogenase, indicating that FGF-2-ABN treatment decreased the transformed cell integrity. Noticeably, the nontransformed cells were not significantly affected by FGF-2-loaded ABN treatment. Furthermore, FGF-2-loaded ABNs significantly increased nuclear levels of activated-extracellular signal-regulated kinase ½ (ERK1/2) in A549s but had no significant effect on HBE1 nuclear ERK1/2 expression. Our novel intracellular delivery method of FGF-2 via nanoparticles resulted in increased cancer cell death via increased nuclear ERK1/2 activation.

Generation of alginate nanoparticles through microfluidics-aided polyelectrolyte complexation

Alginate-based nanoparticles were generated by mixing two types of stock solutions through a microfluidic device. In our microfluidic mixing device, aqueous Ca-alginate pre-gels and cationic poly-l-lysine (PLL) solutions were mixed, and the polyelectrolyte complexation that subsequently occurred between the pre-gel and PLL resulted in precipitates, yielding alginate nanoparticles. Due to the faster microfluidic mixing achieved compared with that obtained with the conventional bulk mixing method, the alginate nanoparticles exhibited enhanced aggregation stability. The control of the size of the nanoparticles through the tuning of the flow rates in the microfluidic device was also achieved.

Design of insulin-loaded alginate nanoparticles: Influence of the calcium ion on polymer gel matrix properties

Alginate-based nanoparticles were produced by dispersing alginate aqueous solution containing an insoluble calcium salt within mineral oil forming a water-in-oil emulsion. Subsequently, alginate gelled upon contact with the calcium ions due to the physical cross-linking between the carboxylate anions of the alginate and the calcium ions. The influence of the calcium salt, added in varying amounts, on gel integrity and on particle size was investigated. The efficiency of encapsulating active biological compounds by nanoparticles was also assayed. The calcium concentration was seen to be a crucial parameter in particle production, influencing the particle size, the viscosity of the solutions at different stages of the emulsification/gelation process and, finally, the encapsulation efficiency. The most appropriate mass relation between calcium and alginate was 7% (w/w). Under this condition, the smallest mean diameter obtained was 2.604 ? 2.141 ?m combined with the narrowest range of particle sizes. The encapsulation efficiency of insulin was over 71 %. These previous characteristics appear to be best suited for producing small, well-dispersed and stable nanoparticles with high encapsulation of insulin. This particulate system may be considered as a promising carrier for the oral delivery of insulin.