Lin Zhenyu, Li Jun, Huang Qingrong
Department of Food Science, Rutgers University, 65 Dudley Road, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.
College of Food Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
Foods. 2024 May 27;13(11):1672. doi: 10.3390/foods13111672.
Electrospun/sprayed fiber films and nanoparticles were broadly studied as encapsulation techniques for bioactive compounds. Nevertheless, many of them involved using non-volatile toxic solvents or non-biodegradable polymers that were not suitable for oral consumption, thus rather limiting their application. In this research, a novel electrospun lipid-polymer composite (ELPC) was fabricated with whole generally recognized as safe (GRAS) materials including gelatin, medium chain triglyceride (MCT) and lecithin. A water-insoluble bioactive compound, tetrahydrocurcumin (TC), was encapsulated in the ELPC to enhance its delivery. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) was utilized to examine the morphology of this ELPC and found that it was in a status between electrospun fibers and electrosprayed particles. It was able to form self-assembled emulsions (droplets visualized by CLSM) to deliver active compounds. In addition, this gelatin-based ELPC self-assembled emulsion was able to form a special emulsion gel. CLSM observation of this gel displayed that the lipophilic contents of the ELPC were encapsulated within the cluster of the hydrophilic gelatin gel network. The FTIR spectrum of the TC-loaded ELPC did not show the fingerprint pattern of crystalline TC, while it displayed the aliphatic hydrocarbon stretches from MCT and lecithin. The dissolution experiment demonstrated a relatively linear release profile of TC from the ELPC. The lipid digestion assay displayed a rapid digestion of triglycerides in the first 3-6 min, with a high extent of lipolysis. A Caco-2 intestinal monolayer transport study was performed. The ELPC delivered more TC in the upward direction than downwards. MTT study results did not report cytotoxicity for both pure TC and the ELPC-encapsulated TC under 15 μg/mL. Caco-2 cellular uptake was visualized by CLSM and semi-quantified to estimate the accumulation rate of TC in the cells over time.
电纺/喷雾纤维膜和纳米颗粒作为生物活性化合物的包封技术得到了广泛研究。然而，其中许多技术涉及使用不挥发的有毒溶剂或不可生物降解的聚合物，这些都不适合口服，因此相当限制了它们的应用。在本研究中，一种新型的电纺脂质-聚合物复合材料（ELPC）由包括明胶、中链甘油三酯（MCT）和卵磷脂在内的全被公认为安全（GRAS）的材料制成。一种水不溶性生物活性化合物，四氢姜黄素（TC），被包封在ELPC中以增强其递送效果。利用共聚焦激光扫描显微镜（CLSM）检查该ELPC的形态，发现它处于电纺纤维和电喷雾颗粒之间的状态。它能够形成自组装乳液（通过CLSM可视化的液滴）来递送活性化合物。此外，这种基于明胶的ELPC自组装乳液能够形成一种特殊的乳液凝胶。对该凝胶的CLSM观察显示，ELPC的亲脂性成分被包封在亲水性明胶凝胶网络的簇内。负载TC的ELPC的FTIR光谱未显示结晶TC的指纹图谱，而显示了来自MCT和卵磷脂的脂肪烃拉伸。溶解实验表明TC从ELPC的释放曲线相对呈线性。脂质消化试验显示，在最初的3-6分钟内甘油三酯快速消化，脂解程度较高。进行了Caco-2肠道单层转运研究。ELPC向上递送的TC比向下递送的更多。MTT研究结果未报告在15μg/mL以下纯TC和ELPC包封的TC的细胞毒性。通过CLSM可视化Caco-2细胞摄取并进行半定量以估计TC在细胞中的积累速率随时间的变化。
