Role Of Nanoparticles Research Articles

Particle‐Specific Toxicity of Copper Nanoparticles to Soybean (Glycine max L.): Effects of Nanoparticle Concentration and Natural Organic Matter

For the soluble metallic nanoparticles (NPs), which forms (particles [NP(particle) ] vs. dissolved ions [NP(ion) ]) are the main cause of toxicity of the NP suspension (NP(total) ) remains uncertain. In the present study, soybean was exposed to Cu NPs in a hydroponic system to determine how natural organic matter (NOM; 10 mg/l) and concentration of Cu NP(total) (2-50 mg/l) affect the relative contributions of Cu NP(particle) and Cu NP(ion) to the overall toxicity. We found that NOM mitigated the phytotoxicity of Cu NP(particle) more significantly than that of Cu salt. When no NOM was added, Cu NP(particle) rather than Cu NP(ion) was the main contributor to the observed toxicity regardless of the concentration of Cu NP(total) . However, NOM tended to reduce the relative contribution of Cu NP(particle) to the toxicity of Cu NP(total) . Especially at a low concentration of Cu NP(total) (2 mg/l), the toxicity of Cu NP(total) mainly resulted from Cu NP(ion) in the presence of NOM (accounting for ≥70% of the overall toxicity). This might be attributable to the combined effects of increased dissolution of Cu NPs and steric-electrostatic hindrance between Cu NP(particle) and the soybean roots caused by NOM. Fulvic acids (FAs) tended to reduce the role of Cu NP(particle) in the overall toxicity more effectively than humic acids (HAs), which might partially be due to the higher extent of Cu NP dissolution on FA treatment than in HA treatment. Our results suggest that because of the relatively low metallic NP concentration and the presence of NOM in natural water, NP(ion) are likely problematic, which can inform management and mitigation actions. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:2825-2835. © 2021 SETAC.

Development of smart bentonite drilling fluid introducing iron oxide nanoparticles compatible to the reservoirs of Upper Assam

Applications of nanoparticles (NPs) in petroleum drilling are the state-of-the art for nanotechnology and petroleum technology. Highlighting the role of iron oxide NPs as an additive and substitute to commercial additives, the research aims in formulation of a novel nano based drilling fluid (NDF) by meticulously studying the rheological and filtration properties. The research emphasizes on two perspectives of high cost of NPs and enhancement of properties of drilling fluid with maximum feasibility to explore the reservoirs of Upper Assam basins. Chemical reduction method was employed for synthesizing iron oxide NPs and characterized by ultraviolet visible spectrophotometer and particle size analyzer. Rheological and filtration properties of the NDF were conducted by addition of iron oxide NPs from 5 wt% to 40 wt%. The research presents the formulation of a smart drilling fluid using NPs as a sole additive replacing other commercial ones. NDF, so far has not been used in the reservoirs of Upper Assam Basins owing to economic factors and real-time feasibility. Apart from unleashing the various reasons for compatibility of NDF in such reservoirs, the research also highlights the practical limitations encountered during mud formulation and field use.

Role of nanoparticles in crop improvement and abiotic stress management

Nanoparticles (NPs) possess specific physical and chemical features and they are capable enough to cross cellular barriers and show their effect on living organisms. Their capability to cross cellular barriers have been noticed for their application not only in medicine, electronics, chemical and physical sciences, but also in agriculture. In agriculture, nanotechnology can help to improve the growth and crop productivity by the use of various nanoscale products such as nanofertilizers, nanoherbicides, nanofungicides, nanopesticides etc. An optimized concentration of NPs can be administered by incubation of seeds, roots, pollen, isolated cells and protoplast, foliar spraying, irrigation with NPs, direct injection, hydroponic treatment and delivery by biolistics. Once NPs come in contact with plant cells, they are uptaken by plasmodesmatal or endocytosed pathways and translocated via apoplastic and / symplastic routes. Once beneficial NPs reach different parts of plants, they boost photosynthetic rate, biomass measure, chlorophyll content, sugar level, buildup of osmolytes and antioxidants. NPs also improve nitrogen metabolism, enhance chlorophyll as well as protein content and upregulate the expression of abiotic- and biotic stress-related genes. Herein, we review the state of art of different modes of application, uptake, transport and prospective beneficial role of NPs in stress management and crop improvement.

Coping with the Challenges of Abiotic Stress in Plants: New Dimensions in the Field Application of Nanoparticles

Abiotic stress in plants is a crucial issue worldwide, especially heavy-metal contaminants, salinity, and drought. These stresses may raise a lot of issues such as the generation of reactive oxygen species, membrane damage, loss of photosynthetic efficiency, etc. that could alter crop growth and developments by affecting biochemical, physiological, and molecular processes, causing a significant loss in productivity. To overcome the impact of these abiotic stressors, many strategies could be considered to support plant growth including the use of nanoparticles (NPs). However, the majority of studies have focused on understanding the toxicity of NPs on aquatic flora and fauna, and relatively less attention has been paid to the topic of the beneficial role of NPs in plants stress response, growth, and development. More scientific attention is required to understand the behavior of NPs on crops under these stress conditions. Therefore, the present work aims to comprehensively review the beneficial roles of NPs in plants under different abiotic stresses, especially heavy metals, salinity, and drought. This review provides deep insights about mechanisms of abiotic stress alleviation in plants under NP application.

Nanoparticles in drilling fluid: A review of the state-of-the-art

Nanoparticles (NPs) as a nanotechnologies unit have a huge potential for improving drilling fluids. However, the role of NPs in this field is still in its infancy and consequently has attracted much more attention in the last years. This review is going to investigate the drilling fluids modified by nanoparticles. Moreover, effects of various nanoparticles include polymeric, ceramic, metal and carbon-based NPs on drilling fluid and technical and economic benefits of them will be inspected. Although various reviews of nano-based drilling fluids have been reported, few papers have provided a comprehensive review and development of nanoparticles application in this issue. This review summarizes the recent research advances in the synthesis and applications of NPs in drilling fluids system. The roles of NPs in rheology and fluid loss control, mud cake thickness, filtration properties, and thermal properties are discussed. Accordingly, various literature reviews demonstrated that use of nano materials in drilling fluid has two main goals: improvement of thermal and physical-mechanical of drilling fluids. The studies in this issue will facilitate the design of advanced functional nano-composites for drilling fluids.

CO oxidation on gold catalyst supported on PdO, RuO2, and CuO - Generation of catalytic activity determined by M[sbnd]O bond strength of support metal oxide-

The activity and the mechanism of CO oxidation on PdO, RuO2 and CuO with and without the deposition of Au nanoparticles (NPs), of which MO bond strength increases with this order, were systematically investigated to elucidate the reason for the enhancement of the activity due to the deposition of gold NPs. The deposition on PdO and on RuO2 effectively did not enhance the activity, whereas the deposition on CuO clearly enhanced the activity. The change of the rate controlling step caused by the variation of the interaction between the product CO2 and oxygen vacancy with increasing MO bond strength of support oxides correlates with the enhancement of the catalytic activity. The lowering of activation energy for the reduction of lattice oxygen existing around the contact interface of gold/metal oxide with CO was the main role of Au NPs in the enhancement of CO oxidation.

Nanotechnology and Plant Viruses: An Emerging Disease Management Approach for Resistant Pathogens.

Phytoviruses are highly destructive plant pathogens, causing significant agricultural losses due to their genomic diversity, rapid, and dynamic evolution, and the general inadequacy of management options. Although an increasing number of studies are being published demonstrating the efficacy of engineered nanomaterials to treat a range of plant pathogens, very little work has been done with phytoviruses. Herein, we describe the emerging field of "Nanophytovirology" as a potential management approach to combat plant viral diseases. Because of their special physiochemical properties, nanoparticles (NPs) can interact with viruses, their vectors, and the host plants in a variety of specific and useful ways. We specifically describe the potential mechanisms underlying NPs-plant-virus interactions and explore the antiviral role of NPs. We discuss the limited literature, as well as the challenges and research gaps that are instrumental to the successful development of a nanotechnology-based, multidisciplinary approach for timely detection, treatment, and prevention of viral diseases.

Preparation, characterization, and cytotoxicity evaluation of self-assembled nanoparticles of diosgenin-cytarabine conjugate

Diosgenin (DG) isolated from yam roots revealed various bioactivities and applications as drug carrier. In the present study, a conjugate of DG with cytarabine (Ara-C) was used to prepare the self-assembled nanoparticles (NPs) of DG-Ara-C by a nanoprecipitation method. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) as well as transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed to analyze the size and the morphology of NPs, respectively. The stability and absorption of DG-Ara-C NPs were measured. Additionally, the cytotoxicity of the NPs was determined via MTT assay. The results indicated that the average particle size of DG-Ara-C NPs was around 190 nm with a narrow size distribution (PDI = 0.1). TEM showed that DG-Ara-C NPs had a spherical morphology. Compared to free DG or Ara-C, the self-assembled DG-Ara-C NPs exhibited a better anti-tumor activity against solid tumor cells as well as leukemia cells. In conclusion, DG possesses dual role in the self-assembled NPs of DG-Ara-C conjugate, being as a promising anticancer drug and drug carrier.

Toward High Efficiency Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes: Role of Nanoparticles

AbstractThe rapid development of nanotechnology for the last 30 years has enabled a rapid expansion in the applications of functional nanoparticles (NPs) on optoelectronic devices. Especially, NPs are of high significance in organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) as they provide feasible solutions to the enduring challenges related to higher device efficiency. The use of NPs with designed structure and functionality is demonstrated, indicative of their great application potentials in OLEDs. Herein, the recent advances in OLEDs with the utilization of functional NPs are summarized. Starting with a brief overview about the unique properties of NPs, comprehensive roles of NPs in OLEDs, which include improving carrier injection abilities, local surface plasmonic resonance, light scattering, and magnetic field effects, are discussed together with their latest research progresses. Furthermore, one‐component and multicomponent heterostructured NPs with multifunctional capabilities in OLEDs are overviewed. Following the summarization of the roles of NPs in OLEDs and their latest research progress, a brief conclusion and outlook regarding the future research directions of highly efficient OLEDs by incorporation of NPs are provided.

Photothermal Therapy Based on CuS Nanoparticles for Alleviating Arterial Restenosis Induced by Mechanical Injury of Endovascular Treatment

CuS nanoparticles (NPs) as an effective near-infrared absorption agent have been widely applied in the photothermal therapy (PTT) of cancer. However, little is known about the application of CuS NP-based PTT in alleviating arterial inflammation and restenosis, which affects the long-term prognosis of endovascular treatment. In this study, CuS NPs were synthesized and used as PTT nanoplatform for ameliorating arterial inflammation induced by mechanical injury of endovascular treatment. The macrophages possess powerful phagocytosis toward CuS NPs is evidenced by intracellular transmission electron microscopic imaging. As illustrated from Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and calcein AM/PI staining, an efficient depletion of macrophages by CuS NPs coculture combined with the irradiation with a 915-nm near-infrared laser was achieved. The endarterium injury/inflammation model was established by insertion of a 29G needle (BD Insulin Syringe Ultra-Fine®) to the left common carotid artery of an apolipoprotein E knockout mouse to mimic endarterium damage after endovascular treatment. Local injection of CuS NPs around the left common carotid artery followed by irradiation with a 915-nm INR laser significantly depleted infiltrated macrophages and alleviated arterial stenosis. This work emphasizes the role of CuS NPs as a PTT agent in post-injury remodeling of the arterial wall and provides an attractive target macrophage that can be depleted to alleviate arterial restenosis.

A method for cultivation, fractionation, and metal determination to evaluate metal removal by the combination of NPs and bacteria

Metals being released into the environment are posing an increasing risk to both environments and public health. Developing improved approaches to remove these metals from the environment is urgent. A current publication discovered that metal bioremediation was significantly improved by nanoparticles (NPs), and the remediation duration was shortened. However, there is no relevant method for the preparation and evaluation of this novel idea. Hence, we developed this method for bacteria in-situ-EPS (Extracellular Polymeric Substances) cultivation, bacteria sub-cellular fractionation, and metal determinations in cultivating solution, EPS and different fractions of bacteria to evaluate metal removal by the combination of NPs and bacteria, including (1) the enhancement of metal bioremediation by NPs, (2) the influence of NPs on bacteria growth and metal toxicity alleviation, (3) the ability of EPS to adsorb metals and the influence of NPs on the EPS metal adsorption, (4) the contribution of bacteria to metal removal in different part, the effects of NPs on metal distribution patterns in bacteria, and the role of NPs in this process.•The design and experimental procedure for the evaluation of metal removal by combing bacteria and NPs.•In-situ EPS cultivation and separation in the study of bioremediation for metals.

Best served small: nano battles in the war against wound biofilm infections.

The global challenge of antimicrobial resistance is of increasing concern, and alternatives to currently used antibiotics or methods to improve their stewardship are sought worldwide. Microbial biofilms, complex 3D communities of bacteria and/or fungi, are difficult to treat with antibiotics for several reasons. These include their protective coats of extracellular matrix proteins which are difficult for antibiotics to penetrate. Nanoparticles (NP) are one way to rise to this challenge; whilst they exist in many forms naturally there has been a profusion in synthesis of these small (<100 nm) particles for biomedical applications. Their small size allows them to penetrate the biofilm matrix, and as well as some NP being inherently antimicrobial, they also can be modified by doping with antimicrobial payloads or coated to increase their effectiveness. This mini-review examines the current role of NP in treating wound biofilms and the rise in multifunctionality of NP.

The Role of Metallic Nanoparticles in Inhibition of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis and Enhances Phagosome Maturation into the Infected Macrophage.

This review focuses on the role of gallium (Ga) nanoparticles (NPs) to enhance phagosome maturation into the Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected macrophage and the role of magnetic iron NPs as nanocarriers of antituberculosis drugs. The literature shows that silver (Ag) and zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs with dimensions less than 10 nm can penetrate directly through the macrophage bilayer membrane. Ag NPs increase the permeability membrane by motiving the aggregation of proteins in the periplasmic space and forming nano-sized pores. ZnO NPs can interact with the membrane of M. tuberculosis, which leads to the formation of surface pores and the release of intracellular nucleotides. The colloidal Ag:ZnO mixture NPs with 1:1 ratio can eliminate M. tuberculosis and shows the lowest cytotoxicity effects on MCF-7 and THP-1 cell lines. Ag/ZnO nanocrystals are not able to kill M. tuberculosis alone ex-vivo. Hence, bimetallic gold (Au)/Ag NPs possessed high efficiency to inhibit M. tuberculosis in an ex-vivo THP-1 infection model. Co-delivery of mixed MeNPs into a polymeric carrier collaborated to selective uptake by macrophages through passive targeting, initial burst release of ions from the encapsulated metallic (Me) NPs, and eventually, reduction of MeNPs toxicity, and plays a pivotal role in increasing the antitubercular activity compared to use alone. In addition, Ga NPs can import drugs to the macrophage, inhibit M. tuberculosis growth, and reduce the inhibition of phagosome maturation. Magnetic encapsulated NPs exhibited good drug release properties and might be suitable as carriers of antituberculosis drugs.

Plasmonic control of drug release efficiency in agarose gel loaded with gold nanoparticle assemblies

AbstractPlasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) are exploited to concentrate light, provide local heating and enhance drug release when coupled to smart polymers. However, the role of NP assembling in these processes is poorly investigated, although their superior performance as nanoheaters has been theoretically predicted since a decade. Here we report on a compound hydrogel (agarose and carbomer 974P) loaded with gold NPs of different configurations. We investigate the dynamics of light-heat conversion in these hybrid plasmonic nanomaterials via a combination of ultrafast pump-probe spectroscopy and hot-electrons dynamical modeling. The photothermal study ascertains the possibility to control the degree of assembling via surface functionalization of the NPs, thus enabling a tuning of the photothermal response of the plasmon-enhanced gel under continuous wave excitation. We exploit these assemblies to enhance photothermal release of drug mimetics with large steric hindrance loaded in the hydrogel. Using compounds with an effective hydrodynamic diameter bigger than the mesh size of the gel matrix, we find that the nanoheaters assemblies enable a two orders of magnitude faster cumulative drug release toward the surrounding environment compared to isolated NPs, under the same experimental conditions. Our results pave the way for a new paradigm of nanoplasmonic control over drug release.

OsFTIP7 determines metallic oxide nanoparticles response and tolerance by regulating auxin biosynthesis in rice

The widely application of metallic oxide nanoparticles (NPs) has led to an increase in their accumulation in farmland. Previous studies have found that the metallic oxide NPs have negative effect on plants development and growth. Nonetheless, the underlying mechanism of response to metallic oxide NPs in rice remains elusive. In this study, we show that rice FT-INTERACTING PROTEIN 7 (OsFTIP7) plays an essential role in NPs of CuO and ZnO-mediated physiological and biochemical changes in rice. Loss of function of OsFTIP7 reduced the toxicity of the NPs of CuO and ZnO to the seedlings by accumulating more biomass and chlorophyll contents. Furthermore, after high exposure to metallic oxide NPs, more indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) were determined in Osftip7 with higher expression of auxin biosynthetic genes than the control seedlings. What’s more, IAA-treated seedlings displayed the similar phenotype as Osftip7 under high concentrations of NPs of CuO and ZnO. Taken together, the results substantiate that OsFTIP7 is involved in metallic oxide nanoparticle-mediated physiological and biochemical changes by negatively regulating auxin biosynthesis in rice.

A mechanistic study of smart water injection in the presence of nanoparticles for sand production control in unconsolidated sandstone reservoirs

In unconsolidated sandstone formations, fine sand particles movement as a result of contact between low salinity water (LSW) and rock surface minerals/interparticle cement disturbing the ionic equilibrium in the medium is recognized as the most common issue. Such unstable particles can obstruct some fluid paths and consequently, reduce the reservoir permeability and cause a type of formation damage. In this regard, adding nanoparticles (NPs) into the injected water may obviate shortcomings associated with sand production (SP). Charged NPs could easily adsorb onto the rock surface oppositely charged because of their ultra-small specific surface area and partially cover the rock surface. It can be as a protective layer for unstable minerals against the LSW as the destabilizer element. At these conditions, the solidity of the interparticle cement could stabilize the fine sand particles and impedes subsequent problems. In this study, a new approach has been introduced to optimize the composition of the SW using a statistical method. Moreover, the role of NPs in SP control during the SWI process has been surveyed here. The results obtained here reveal that adding silica NPs into the optimized injected water to unconsolidated sandstone samples not only enhances the oil recovery up to 10% but reduces about 81% of produced sand. NPs partial surface coating as a promising mechanism for stabilizing the fine sand particles has been proposed. The influence of SP on rock compressive strength has also been investigated and 46% improvement in rock strength was observed as a result of the presence of NPs in the injected fluid. Besides, for unconsolidated sandstones, an exponential trend of the weight of produced sand was observed and two empirical correlations have obtained to estimate the total mass of produced sand based on the type and the volume of the injected fluid. It is expected that this study could be helpful for a better understanding of acting mechanisms in the molecular scale behind the nano-assisted smart water injection (NSWI) for SP control in unconsolidated sandstone formations.

Nanoparticle-Based Strategies to Combat COVID-19.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the worst pandemic disease of the current millennium. This disease is caused by the highly contagious severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which first exhibited human-to-human transmission in December 2019 and has infected millions of people within months across 213 different countries. Its ability to be transmitted by asymptomatic carriers has put a massive strain on the currently available testing resources. Currently, there are no clinically proven therapeutic methods that clearly inhibit the effects of this virus, and COVID-19 vaccines are still in the development phase. Strategies need to be explored to expand testing capacities, to develop effective therapeutics, and to develop safe vaccines that provide lasting immunity. Nanoparticles (NPs) have been widely used in many medical applications, such as biosensing, drug delivery, imaging, and antimicrobial treatment. SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped virus with particle-like characteristics and a diameter of 60–140 nm. Synthetic NPs can closely mimic the virus and interact strongly with its proteins due to their morphological similarities. Hence, NP-based strategies for tackling this virus have immense potential. NPs have been previously found to be effective tools against many viruses, especially against those from the Coronaviridae family. This Review outlines the role of NPs in diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccination for the other two epidemic coronaviruses, the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus and the 2012 Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) virus. We also highlight nanomaterial-based approaches to address other coronaviruses, such as human coronaviruses (HCoVs); feline coronavirus (FCoV); avian coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus (IBV); coronavirus models, such as porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), and transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV); and other viruses that share similarities with SARS-CoV-2. This Review combines the salient principles from previous antiviral studies with recent research conducted on SARS-CoV-2 to outline NP-based strategies that can be used to combat COVID-19 and similar pandemics in the future.

Double Effects of Interfacial Ag Nanoparticles in a ZnO Multipod@Ag@Bi2S3 Z-Scheme Photocatalytic Redox System: Concurrent Tuning and Improving Charge-Transfer Efficiency.

Distinct functional materials in their combined form in a well-designed hybrid architecture offer great possibilities for creating a highly active photocatalytic system. Herein, a uniform multipod-shaped ZnO is synthesized through a natural template assisted route and progressively integrated with Ag nanoparticles (NPs) and Bi2S3 to form a three-component (3C) ternary photocatalytic system by a facile, two -step wet chemical approach. Encapsulation of polycrystalline Bi2S3 and assimilation of Ag NPs in between the interface of ZnO and Bi2S3 in the ternary hybrid are confirmed from electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which resulted in improved UV-vis absorption, charge separation efficiency, and photocurrent response evaluated from optical absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence, and photoelectrochemical cell measurements. This ternary hybrid shows high photoredox activity toward the hydrogen evaluation reaction (HER) (218.7 μmol h-1 g-1) and methyl orange (MO) oxidation (k = 3.21 × 10-2 min-1) compared to their binary and single counterparts. Moreover, on the basis of the estimation of the predominant active species (O2•-, •OH) in the photoredox catalysis and band edge positions from the Mott-Schottky plot, it was determined that both binary ZnO multipod@Bi2S3 and ternary ZnO multipod Ag@Bi2S3 hybrids undergo a Z-scheme electron transfer mechanism under irradiation of light. Here, the Ag ingredient in the ternary hybrids acts as an interfacial charge-transfer mediator to accelerate the Z-scheme electron transfer between Bi2S3 and ZnO along with plasmonic photosensitization to trigger the generation of plasmon-induced hot electrons. Such a cooperative concurrent dual role of Ag NPs in the Z-scheme ternary hybrid system considerably boosts the photoredox performance compared to direct Z-scheme binary hybrids. This work will enlighten and uncover the essential roles of metal NPs along with their cooperative synergy in Z-scheme photocatalytic systems as a prototypical example for substantial solar energy conversion.

Pickering nano-emulsions stabilized by Eudragit RL100 nanoparticles as oral drug delivery system for poorly soluble drugs

The purpose of this study was to develop Pickering water-in-oil nano-emulsions only stabilized by Eudragit RL100 nanoparticles (NPs), in order to increase the nano-emulsion stability and create a barrier to improve the drug encapsulation and better control the drug release. The first part of this study was dedicated to investigating the nano-emulsion formulation by ultrasonication and understanding the interfacial behavior and role of NPs in the stabilization of the water/oil interface. The focus was on the surface coverage in the function of the formulation parameters (volume fractions) to disclose the extents and limitations of the process. The main physicochemical analysis of the Pickering nano-emulsions was performed by dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy. On the other hand, the second experimental approach was dedicated to understanding the interfacial behavior of the Eudragit RL100 NPs toward a model water/oil interface, using a dynamic tensiometer with axisymmetric drop shape analysis. The study investigated the NPs’ adsorption, as well as their rheological behavior. The aim of this part was to reveal the main phenomena that govern the interactions between NPs and the interface in order to understand the origin of Pickering nano-emulsions’ stability. The last part of the study was concerned with the stability and in vitro release of a model encapsulated drug (ketoprofen) in a gastric and simulated intestinal environment. The results showed that Pickering nano-emulsions significantly improved the resistance to gastric pH, inducing a significantly slower drug release compared to classical nano-emulsions’ stabilized surfactants. These Pickering nano-emulsions appear as a promising technology to modify the delivery of a therapeutic agent, in the function of the pH, and can be, for instance, applied to the oral drug delivery of poorly soluble drugs.

Zein nanoparticles as low-cost, safe, and effective carriers to improve the oral bioavailability of resveratrol.

The clinical translation of the multiple pharmacological effects of resveratrol (RSV) found in preclinical studies has been impaired by its poor bioavailability, due to poor solubility and rapid metabolism and elimination. The inclusion of this molecule in medicines or functional food products will be ineffective unless suitable systems are developed. Zein protein may constitute an inexpensive, safe, and effective choice to produce nanoparticles (NPs) to incorporate hydrophobic molecules and overcome the bioavailability issues of RSV. In this work, we loaded RSV into zein NPs by using a nanoprecipitation method. Unloaded and RSV-loaded NPs presented average diameter values in the range of 120-180nm, narrow size distribution (polydispersity index < 0.150), and zeta potential of around + 20mV. The association efficiency of the drug was equal to or greater than 77% for different initial drug loads. Scanning electron microscopy imaging revealed that zein NPs were round-shaped and presented a smooth surface. Aqueous suspensions of zein NPs were stable for at least 1month when stored at 4°C. The freeze-drying of zein NPs using sucrose as cryoprotectant allowed an easy re-suspension of NPs in water without significantly changing the initial colloidal properties. RSV-loaded NPs presented low cytotoxicity to the human colorectal Caco-2 and HT29-MTX cell lines. Finally, permeability studies of RSV across Caco-2 and Caco-2/HT29-MTX evidenced some ability of zein NPs to protect RSV from metabolism events. However, further investigation is needed in order to confirm the possible role of zein NPs in the metabolic stability of RSV. Overall, zein NPs may present the potential to circumvent bioavailability issues of RSV. Graphical abstract.