Formulation, characterization, and cellular toxicity assessment of tamoxifen-loaded silk fibroin nanoparticles in breast cancer

Naringenin (NAR), a flavonoid present in a variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs, exhibits a wide range of pharmacological effects, including anticancer activity. Nevertheless, its application in cancer therapy is limited due to its low bioavailability at the tumour site because of its poor solubility in water and slow dissolution rate. To improve the therapeutic efficacy of NAR, emergent research is looking into using nanocarriers. Silk fibroin (SF), from the Bombyx mori silkworm, is a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer with excellent mechanical properties and an amphiphilic chemistry that make it a promising candidate as a controlled release drug system. The aim of this work is to synthesize naringenin-loaded silk fibroin nanoparticles (NAR-SFNs) by dissolving the SF in the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate, using high-power ultrasounds and rapid desolvation in methanol followed by the adsorption of NAR. The NAR-SFNs were characterized by dynamic light scattering, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The drug loading content and encapsulation efficiency were calculated. The drug release profile best fitted a first order equation. The cytotoxicity effects of free NAR, bare silk fibroin nanoparticles (SFNs) and NAR-SFNs were assessed on HeLa and EA.hy926 cells via 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The results demonstrated the higher in vitro anticancer potential of synthesized NAR-SFNs than that of free NAR in HeLa cancer cells.

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Silk fibroin nanoparticles for celecoxib and curcumin delivery: ROS-scavenging and anti-inflammatory activities in an in vitro model of osteoarthritis

European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics ◽

10.1016/j.ejpb.2019.02.008 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 137 ◽

pp. 37-45 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Barbara Crivelli ◽

Elia Bari ◽

Sara Perteghella ◽

Laura Catenacci ◽

Milena Sorrenti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Silk Fibroin ◽

In Vitro Model ◽

Ros Scavenging ◽

Silk Fibroin Nanoparticles ◽

Anti Inflammatory ◽

Vitro Model

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In Vitro MCF-7 Cells Apoptosis Analysis of Carboplatin Loaded Silk Fibroin Particles

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules25051110 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 25 (5) ◽

pp. 1110

Author(s):

Nanyak Galam ◽

Pinar Tulay ◽

Terin Adali

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Silk Fibroin ◽

Drug Carrier ◽

Release Studies ◽

Apoptotic Effect ◽

Student’S T ◽

Drug Carrier System ◽

Mcf 7

Breast cancer ranks as the fifth leading cause of death worldwide. Chemotherapy is commonly used directly or as neo-adjuvant therapy for the management of breast cancer with its attendant adverse effects, underscoring the need to develop biocompatible bioactive compounds for pharmacological applications. The aim of this study is to encapsulate carboplatin (CP) with silk fibroin protein (SF) by using an ionic gelation method as a drug carrier system and assess the apoptotic effect on MCF-7 breast cancer cells during in vitro studies. The characterization of silk fibroin encapsulated carboplatin (SFCP) microparticles was analyzed by FTIR spectrophotometer, SEM, Mastersizer, and biodegradation methods. The encapsulation efficiency and release profile of SFCP microparticles were analyzed by an indirect UV–Vis spectrophotometric method. An apoptotic screening of MCF-7 cells was carried out with 10–200 µg/mL CP loaded SFCP, which were cultured for 24, 48, and 72 h. Data were analyzed using the Student’s t test and analysis of variance. FTIR and drug release studies confirmed an interaction of silk fibroin with the carboplatin moiety. SFCP showed successful encapsulation of the carboplatin moiety. Apoptotic screening showed a dose dependent increase in absorbance, indicating significant cell death (p < 0.05). Thus, the direct apoptotic effect of SFCP microparticles on MCF-7 was confirmed.

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Revealing the Influence of the Degumming Process in the Properties of Silk Fibroin Nanoparticles

Polymers ◽

10.3390/polym11122045 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. 2045 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Guzmán Carissimi ◽

A. Abel Lozano-Pérez ◽

Mercedes G. Montalbán ◽

Salvador D. Aznar-Cervantes ◽

José Luis Cenis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Silk Fibroin ◽

Nanoparticle Synthesis ◽

Biochemical Properties ◽

Strong Impact ◽

Lack Of Information ◽

Sds Page ◽

Silk Fibroin Nanoparticles ◽

Mean Size ◽

Degumming Process ◽

The Impact

Several studies have stated that the process used for sericin removal, or degumming, from silk cocoons has a strong impact in the silk fibroin integrity and consequently in their mechanical or biochemical properties after processing it into several biomaterials (e.g. fibers, films or scaffolds) but still, there is a lack of information of the impact on the features of silk nanoparticles. In this work, silk cocoons were degummed following four standard methods: autoclaving, short alkaline (Na2CO3) boiling, long alkaline (Na2CO3) boiling and ultrasounds. The resultant silk fibroin fibers were dissolved in the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate and used for nanoparticle synthesis by rapid desolvation in polar organic solvents. The relative efficiencies of the degumming processes and the integrity of the resulting fibroin fibers obtained were analyzed by mass loss, optical microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, infrared spectroscopy and SDS-PAGE. Particle sizes and morphology were analyzed by Dynamic Light Scattering and Field Emission Scanning Electronic Microscopy. The results showed that the different treatments had a remarkable impact on the integrity of the silk fibroin chains, as confirmed by gel electrophoresis, which can be correlated with particle mean size and size distribution changes. The smallest nanoparticles (156 ± 3 nm) and the most negative Z potential (−30.2 ± 1.8 mV) were obtained with the combination of long treatment (2 h) of boiling in alkaline solution (Na2CO3 0.02 eq/L). The study confirms that parameters of the process, such as composition of the solution and time of the degumming step, must be controlled in order to reach an optimum reproducibility of the nanoparticle production.

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