Combination therapy with VEGFR2 nanoliposomal peptide and paclitaxel in murine models of melanoma: a promising strategy for enhancing the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy.

Kaempferol (KAE), a bioactive flavonoid, has limited solubility and stability in water. Zein-gum arabic (GA) nanoparticles (NPs) are promising carriers for KAE, but the influence of preparation methods on their structure and properties remains unclear. This study investigated the effect of preparation method on the structure and properties of KAE-loaded zein-GA NPs. The results showed that the NPs prepared by the antisolvent co-precipitation method (GA-zein-KAE) had a smaller particle size, a lower protein dispersibility index, a higher absolute zeta potential value, and greater encapsulation efficiency and loading capacity than NPs prepared by antisolvent precipitation (GA-zein/KAE). The superior performance of GA-zein-KAE likely resulted from the simultaneous solvent displacement of zein, GA, and KAE during co-precipitation, which promoted ternary synergistic co-assembly, homogeneous component distribution, and a stabilized composite matrix. Scanning electron microscopy revealed a smoother and more uniform surface for GA-zein-KAE, and X-ray diffraction demonstrated that KAE was encapsulated in an amorphous state within the NPs. Fluorescence spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions, and electrostatic attractions among KAE, zein, and GA. The GA-zein-KAE also demonstrated superior re-dispersibility and stability across varying pH, ionic strength, thermal treatment, and storage conditions as well as higher antioxidant activity and faster KAE release in simulated intestinal fluid compared with GA-zein/KAE. The preparation method had a significant effect on the structure and properties of KAE-loaded zein-GA NPs, in which antisolvent co-precipitation promoted the ternary co-assembly of zein, GA, and KAE, yielding NPs with improved performance. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Cancer remains a global health challenge, with conventional treatments limited by toxicity and drug resistance. Propolis, a natural resin with promising anticancer properties but restricted in clinical applications due to low bioavailability and poor solubility. Nanotechnology, offers a potential approach to enhance propolis' therapeutic efficacy through more efficient delivery and improved pharmacokinetics. Propolis-loaded niosomes (PLNs) were prepared using the ethanol injection method, optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) for surfactant type (Tween 80), cholesterol-to-surfactant ratio, and propolis content. Physicochemical properties, including particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), and zeta potential were characterized. Stability was assessed under various storage conditions, and total polyphenol content (TPC) and entrapment efficiency (EE%) were determined. Anticancer activity wasin vitroassessed against MCF7 breast cancer and L929 fibroblast cell lines. The optimized PLN formulation (at a mass ratio 4:1:8 of propolis: cholesterol: Tween 80, respectively) achieved a particle size of 193.5 nm, PDI of 0.123, and zeta potential of -19.6 mV, with a TPC of 21.83 mg GAE g-1and EE% of 57.82%. Stability studies confirmed optimized formulation's robustness at 4 °C, with minimal changes over 42 d, though higher temperatures induced aggregation. PLNs exhibited superior cytotoxicity against MCF7 cells inhibitory concentration (IC50equivalent to 106.85 µg ml-1) compared to L929 cells (IC50equivalent to 127.14 µg ml-1). The formulation's uniformity and moderate stability support its potential for targeted drug delivery. PLNs effectively enhance propolis' anticancer efficacy and bioavailability, offering a promising delivery system for cancer therapy. Future studies should focus on improving zeta potential,in vivovalidation, and encapsulation efficiency to advance clinical translation.

Nanochitin surface charge modulates nisin composite self-assembly: A multiscale simulation-experimental exploration.

Biopharmaceutical evaluation of benznidazole-loaded microparticles: In vitro and in vivo studies.

Quercetin can be enhanced by creating microspheres using polymers, with the quality of these microspheres influenced by manufacturing processes and polymer type. This study compares high-speed stirring with ultra-turrax (method 1) and peristaltic dosing pumps (method 2) for producing quercetin-pectin microspheres. The method employed involves the production of quercetin-pectin microspheres by the ionic gelation process. Six formulas were created for each method, utilizing pectin extracted from red dragon skin with oxalic acid, as well as commercial apple pectin and orange peel pectin at concentrations of 1% and 1.5%. Parameters were evaluated, including FTIR, yield, moisture content (MC), polydispersity index, particle size, drug loading (DL), encapsulation efficiency (EE), Scanning Electron Microscope, Carr's Index, Hausner ratio, swelling index and in vitro drug release. Results showed that the yield obtained ranged for method 1: 83.27-96.37%; yield for method 2: 84.13-93.87%; swelling index of method 1: 92.8±3.25-96.2±3.26%; swelling index of method 2: 94.5±3.41-97.7±2.43%; MC of method 1: 2.58±0.31-3.64±0.57%; MC of method 2: 2.93±0.15-3.64±0.27%; PDI of both method is 0.003%; DL of method 1 was 2.03±0.11-2.37±0.77%; DL of method 2 was 2.75±0.03-2.94±0.51%; EE of method 1 was 70.34±0.72-83.78±1.47%; EE of method 2 was 73.49±0.89-90.61±1.49% in vitro release up to 600 minutes for method 1 was 67.83±5.88-91.94±5.84%; for method 2 was 69.64±3.14-92.29±4.82. The FTIR profile exhibits resemblances between the two approaches, indicating the existence of O-H, C-O, and C-H groups, suggesting commonalities in the composition of quercetin and pectin molecules. The results of the study showed that microspheres produced using a custom-made peristaltic dosing pump yielded better DL, EE, release test, Carr's index, and Hausner ratio values compared to those produced using method 1 (p > 0.05). Peristaltic dosing pumps produce higher yields, exhibiting enhanced spherical morphology and demonstrate improved microsphere performance relative to ultra-turrax.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a serious condition characterized by a sudden decrease in kidney function, often leading to chronic kidney disease. Current treatment options are limited, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies. We previously showed that microRNA-486-5p (miR-486-5p) protects against AKI by regulating cell death (apoptosis) both in vitro and in vivo. However, efficient and selective delivery remains a challenge. In this study, we designed and developed nanoparticles (NPs) to encapsulate and deliver miR-486-5p to cultured endothelial and kidney tubular epithelial cells. NPs were characterized and optimized for size, polydispersity index, surface charge, and encapsulation efficiency. The stability of NPs in long-term storage and in biological solutions was confirmed. Results indicated effective cellular uptake of NPs, cargo microRNA delivery to the intracellular environment, and the absence of cytotoxicity upon NP treatment. Functional assessments showed that miR-486-5p-encapsulating lipid-polymeric hybrid NPs (HNPs) suppressed the expression of Forkhead Box Protein O1 (FOXO1), a validated target of miR-486-5p, in all cell lines investigated, suggesting effective miR-486-5p protection and transport. Both endothelial and tubular epithelial cells were significantly protected against induced apoptosis when pretreated with miR-486-5p-encapsulating HNPs. However, selective siRNA-mediated knockdown of FOXO1 did not result in injury protection, suggesting involvement of other miR-486-5p targets. Furthermore, cell injury-induced expression of inflammatory cytokines was inhibited by HNP-delivered miR-486-5p in both cell lines. These findings demonstrate the protective and anti-inflammatory effects of miR-486-5p-HNP systems in injured endothelial and tubular epithelial cells, highlighting their capacity as a potential nano-therapy for AKI and paving the way for in vivo studies and clinical applications.

Polymeric nanogels hold strong promise for gene delivery, but their production is often limited by poor scalability and inconsistent control over physicochemical properties. To address this challenge, we present a scalable microfluidic strategy for engineering carboxymethyl chitosan-grafted branched polyethyleneimine plasmid DNA nanogels (CMC-bPEI-pDNA NGs) using a coaxial flow reactor. This continuous flow platform enables precise control over nanogel formation, offering tunability in particle size, surface charge, and encapsulation efficiency. Through systematic process development and parametric optimisation - including investigations into hydrodynamics, mixing, reactor geometry, and effect of reagent concentrations - we designed a novel process achieving high-throughput, reproducible nanogel production suitable for in vitro gene delivery. Optimised formulations, produced in as little as 3 s residence time, exhibited excellent monodispersity (polydispersity index, PDI < 0.2), sub-200 nm particle size, and pDNA encapsulation efficiency exceeding 90%. Fluorescence microscopy-based transfection assays confirmed effective intracellular delivery with high green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression in HEK293T cells 72 h post-transfection. We successfully scaled the process 100-fold by extending the reactor length, while maintaining similar physicochemical properties and biological performance. Nanogels produced at high throughput (1.14 L h-1) maintained a high GFP expression, confirming functional gene delivery and process scalability. We identified critical process parameters governing nanogel properties and scalability, including minimum residence time for nanogel formation, optimal flow rate ratios, reagent feeds configuration and reactor design for large-scale implementation. This work establishes a robust and scalable microfluidic process for producing functional polymeric nanogel gene delivery vectors, demonstrating its feasibility for translation from laboratory to larger-scale manufacturing, thereby serving as a proof of concept for future industrial-scale gene therapy applications.

pH-driven polyphenol-polysaccharide co-assembly for constructing curcumin-carrageenan complexes: Intestinal targeted, pH-responsive controlled release, and bioaccessibility enhancement in functional beverages.

Rocket-inspired gas-propelled microneedles engineered with borneol-NLCs-loaded hierarchical cavities for enhanced brain delivery in Alzheimer's therapy.

Encapsulation of resveratrol by Pickering emulsion stabilized by Pueraria lobata nano-starch.

Quercetin-chitooligosaccharide ionic complex: molecular stabilization and microbiota mediated glycemic modulation.

A hepatocyte targeted silymarin sea cucumber peptide-galactose nanoparticle for the alleviation of ethanol-induced damage in cells.

CD44-targeted NLCs improvetrans-resveratrolin vitrocellular uptake and cytotoxicity in high-grade glioma cells.

Lipidic nanomedicines enhance Hinokitiol activity on human primary macrophages from Ferroportin disease patients.

Instant gel-forming microcapsules based on micronized-κ-carrageenan for bitter taste quenching bioinspired by the passion fruit seed.

Malt endogenous amylase-hydrolyzed nanostarch for anthocyanin encapsulation by nanoprecipitation: Fabrication, characterization and evaluation.

Fluidity as a key determinant of stability in PEGylated lipid nanoparticles loaded with a TLR7 agonist.

Recent advances in plant protein-stabilised emulsion systems encapsulated with bioactive compounds.

Electrospun short core-shell nanofibers as a new paradigm for the fabrication of zein-sage seed gum hybrid aerogel.