Nanoparticle - Novel Drug Delivery System: A Review

For the past few years, there has been a considerable research on the basis of Novel drug delivery system, using particulate vesicle systems as such drug carriers for small and large molecules. Nanoparticles, Liposomes, Microspheres, Niosomes, Pronisomes, Ethosomes, Proliposomes have been used as drug carrier in vesicle drug delivery system. Nanotechnology refers to the creation and utilization of materials whose constituents exist at the nanoscale; and, by convention, be up to 100 nm in size.. Nanoparticles are being used for diverse purposes, from medical treatments, using in various branches of industry production such as solar and oxide fuel batteries for energy storage, to wide incorporation into diverse materials of everyday use such as cosmetics or clothes, optical devices, catalytic, bactericidal, electronic, sensor technology, biological labelling and treatment of some cancers. Various polymers have been used in the formation of Nanoparticles. Nanoparticles have been improving the therapeutic effect of drugs and minimize the side effects. Basically, Nanoparticles have been prepared by using various techniques as such dispersion of preformed polymers, polymerization of monomers and ionic gelation or coacervation of hydrophilic polymer. Nanoparticles have been evaluated by using parameters of drug entrapment efficiency, particle shape, drug release study. Keywords: Nanoparticles, Drug, novel, delivery

Melittin-Based Nano-Delivery Systems for Cancer Therapy

Melittin (MEL) is a 26-amino acid polypeptide with a variety of pharmacological and toxicological effects, which include strong surface activity on cell lipid membranes, hemolytic activity, and potential anti-tumor properties. However, the clinical application of melittin is restricted due to its severe hemolytic activity. Different nanocarrier systems have been developed to achieve stable loading, side effects shielding, and tumor-targeted delivery, such as liposomes, cationic polymers, lipodisks, etc. In addition, MEL can be modified on nano drugs as a non-selective cytolytic peptide to enhance cellular uptake and endosomal/lysosomal escape. In this review, we discuss recent advances in MEL’s nano-delivery systems and MEL-modified nano drug carriers for cancer therapy.

Fabrication of CaCO3-Coated Vesicles by Biomineralization and Their Application as Carriers of Drug Delivery Systems

We fabricated CaCO3-coated vesicles as drug carriers that release their cargo under a weakly acidic condition. We designed and synthesized a peptide lipid containing the Val-His-Val-Glu-Val-Ser sequence as the hydrophilic part, and with two palmitoyl groups at the N-terminal as the anchor groups of the lipid bilayer membrane. Vesicles embedded with the peptide lipids were prepared. The CaCO3 coating of the vesicle surface was performed by the mineralization induced by the embedded peptide lipid. The peptide lipid produced the mineral source, CO32−, for CaCO3 mineralization through the hydrolysis of urea. We investigated the structure of the obtained CaCO3-coated vesicles using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The vesicles retained the spherical shapes, even in vacuo. Furthermore, the vesicles had inner spaces that acted as the drug cargo, as observed by the TEM tomographic analysis. The thickness of the CaCO3 shell was estimated as ca. 20 nm. CaCO3-coated vesicles containing hydrophobic or hydrophilic drugs were prepared, and the drug release properties were examined under various pH conditions. The mineralized CaCO3 shell of the vesicle surface was dissolved under a weakly acidic condition, pH 6.0, such as in the neighborhood of cancer tissues. The degradation of the CaCO3 shell induced an effective release of the drugs. Such behavior suggests potential of the CaCO3-coated vesicles as carriers for cancer therapies.

Design, Synthesis and Evaluation of Novel Antimicrobial Polymers Based on the Inclusion of Polyethylene Glycol/TiO2 Nanocomposites in Cyclodextrin as Drug Carriers for Sulfaguanidine

Polymers and their composites have recently attracted attention in both pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a versatile polymer extensively used in medicine. Herein, three novel PEG-based polymers that are pseudopolyrotaxane (PEG/α-CD) (1), titania–nanocomposite (PEG/TiO2NPs) (2), and pseudopolyrotaxane–titania–nanocomposite (PEG/α-CD/TiO2NPs) (3), were synthesized and characterized. The chemical structure, surface morphology, and optical properties of the newly materials were examined by FT-IR, 1H-NMR, SEM, and UV–Vis., respectively. The prepared polymers were used as drug carriers of sulfaguanidine as PEG/α-CD/Drug (4), PEG/TiO2NPs/Drug (5), and PEG/α-CD/TiO2NPs/Drug (6). The influence of these drug-carrying formulations on the physical and chemical characteristics of sulfaguanidine including pharmacokinetic response, solubility, and tissue penetration was explored. Evaluation of the antibacterial and antibiofilm effect of sulfaguanidine was tested before and after loading onto the prepared polymers against some Gram-negative and positive bacteria (E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)), as well. The results of this work turned out to be very promising as they confirmed that loading sulfaguanidine to the newly designed polymers not only showed superior antibacterial and antibiofilm efficacy compared to the pure drug, but also modified the properties of the sulfaguanidine drug itself.

The Investigation of Thymol Formulations Containing Poloxamer 407 and Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose to Inhibit Candida Biofilm Formation and Demonstrate Improved Bio-Compatibility

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of thymol to inhibit Candida biofilm formation and improve thymol biocompatibility in the presence of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and poloxamer 407 (P407), as possible drug carriers. Thymol with and without polymers were tested for its ability to inhibit biofilm formation, its effect on the viability of biofilm and biocompatibility studies were performed on HEK 293 (human embryonic kidney) cells. Thymol showed a concentration dependent biofilm inhibition; this effect was slightly improved when it was combined with HPMC. The Thymol-P407 combination completely inhibited the formation of biofilm and the antibiofilm effect of thymol decreased as the maturation of Candida biofilms increased. The effect of thymol on HEK 293 cells was a loss of nearly 100% in their viability at a concentration of 250 mg/L. However, in the presence of P407, the viability was 25% and 85% using neutral red uptake and sulforhodamine B assays, respectively. While, HPMC had less effect on thymol activity the thymol-P407 combination showed a superior inhibitory effect on biofilm formation and better biocompatibility with human cell lines. The combination demonstrates a potential medical use for the prevention of Candida biofilm formation.

Quercetin Liposomal Nanoformulation for Ischemia and Reperfusion Injury Treatment

Ischemia and reperfusion injury (IRI) is a common complication caused by inflammation and oxidative stress resulting from liver surgery. Current therapeutic strategies do not present the desirable efficacy, and severe side effects can occur. To overcome these drawbacks, new therapeutic alternatives are necessary. Drug delivery nanosystems have been explored due to their capacity to improve the therapeutic index of conventional drugs. Within nanocarriers, liposomes are one of the most successful, with several formulations currently in the market. As improved therapeutic outcomes have been demonstrated by using liposomes as drug carriers, this nanosystem was used to deliver quercetin, a flavonoid with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, in hepatic IRI treatment. In the present work, a stable quercetin liposomal formulation was developed and characterized. Additionally, an in vitro model of ischemia and reperfusion was developed with a hypoxia chamber, where the anti-inflammatory potential of liposomal quercetin was evaluated, revealing the downregulation of pro-inflammatory markers. The anti-inflammatory effect of quercetin liposomes was also assessed in vivo in a rat model of hepatic IRI, in which a decrease in inflammation markers and enhanced recovery were observed. These results demonstrate that quercetin liposomes may provide a significant tool for addressing the current bottlenecks in hepatic IRI treatment.

The Essential Properties of Nanoemulsions

Nanoemulsions are a submicron with colloidal particulate systems ranging from 10 to 1,000 nm in size. Nanoemulsions hold enormous scope in the field of cosmetics, diagnostics, food, and paint. Moreover, nanoemulsions are ubiquitously regarded as superior drug carriers for the infusion of lipophilic cytotoxic antineoplastic agents on a particular target criterion. Nanoemulsions are prepared from two immiscible liquids that are mixed by employing surfactants and co-surfactants. It also encompasses some significant benefits like biocompatibility, non-immunogenicity, low toxicity, drug entrapment, nanoscale size, large surface area, long-term and restrained release, uncomplicated mode of formulation, as well as thermodynamic stability. Nanoemulsion drug delivery can address the major challenge of effective drug formulation due to its instability and poor solubility in the vehicle. The primary objective of this chapter is to provide a quick overview of various physico-properties of nanoemulsion, with a special emphasis on its various applications in various fields.

Application of Nanoemulsions in Breast Cancer Treatment

A new, efficient, and secure clinical approach is increasingly being sought for the treatment of cancer. Nanoemulsions (NE) are projected to have a profound effect on delivering improved healthcare services with significant implications on forthcoming healthcare policies. In contrast to other drug carriers, the key value of NEs is that they can be engineered to target tumor cells and overcome the major challenge of multi-drug resistance. Multifunctional NEs are being investigated by researchers in various fields of study, primarily in the treatment of different forms of cancer. The congruent presence of NEs with contrast agents or certain dyes increases the accuracy of cancer status identification by enhancing the responsiveness of the agents; thus, they are finding application as nanotheranostics. A summary of different NEs and their documented applications in cancer therapeutics, with emphasis on breast cancer, is presented in this chapter.