Glyceride‐Mimetic Prodrugs Incorporating Self‐Immolative Spacers Promote Lymphatic Transport,Avoid First‐Pass Metabolism,and Enhance Oral Bioavailability

First‐pass hepatic metabolism can significantly limit oral drug bioavailability. Drug transport from the intestine through the lymphatic system, rather than the portal vein, circumvents first‐pass metabolism. However, the majority of drugs do not have the requisite physicochemical properties to facilitate lymphatic access. Herein, we describe a prodrug strategy that promotes selective transport through the intestinal lymph vessels and subsequent release of drug in the systemic circulation, thereby enhancing oral bioavailability. Using testosterone (TST) as a model high first‐pass drug, glyceride‐mimetic prodrugs incorporating self‐immolative (SI) spacers, resulted in remarkable increases (up to 90‐fold) in TST plasma exposure when compared to the current commercial product testosterone undecanoate (TU). This approach opens new opportunities for the effective development of drugs where oral delivery is limited by first‐pass metabolism and provides a new avenue to enhance drug targeting to intestinal lymphoid tissue.     

Glyceride‐Mimetic Prodrugs Incorporating Self‐Immolative Spacers Promote Lymphatic Transport,Avoid First‐Pass Metabolism,and Enhance Oral Bioavailability

First‐pass hepatic metabolism can significantly limit oral drug bioavailability. Drug transport from the intestine through the lymphatic system, rather than the portal vein, circumvents first‐pass metabolism. However, the majority of drugs do not have the requisite physicochemical properties to facilitate lymphatic access. Herein, we describe a prodrug strategy that promotes selective transport through the intestinal lymph vessels and subsequent release of drug in the systemic circulation, thereby enhancing oral bioavailability. Using testosterone (TST) as a model high first‐pass drug, glyceride‐mimetic prodrugs incorporating self‐immolative (SI) spacers, resulted in remarkable increases (up to 90‐fold) in TST plasma exposure when compared to the current commercial product testosterone undecanoate (TU). This approach opens new opportunities for the effective development of drugs where oral delivery is limited by first‐pass metabolism and provides a new avenue to enhance drug targeting to intestinal lymphoid tissue.     

Evaluation of the Intestinal Permeability of Rosmarinic Acid from Thunbergia laurifolia Leaf Water Extract in a Caco-2 Cell Model

Thunbergia laurifolia (TL) has been traditionally used as an antidote and an antipyretic drug by folk healers for centuries in Thailand. Rosmarinic acid (RA) is major compound in TL extract and has attracted great interest due to its potential broad pharmacological effects. Herein, the permeability of RA was investigated in TL extract and as a pure compound in a Caco-2 cell model by using high-performance liquid chromatography with a photodiode array detector (HPLC-PDA). The results reveal that the apparent permeability coefficient (P_app) values of RA in TL extracts and pure RA significantly increased after deconjugation by β-glucuronidase/sulfatase enzymes. Our findings exhibit possible saturable biotransformation of RA and/or membrane transport while penetrated through Caco-2 cells. The cumulative amounts of RA as pure compounds and in TL extracts increased with the exposure time, and the efflux ratio (ER) was 0.27–1.14. RA in the TL extract has a similar absorption in the conjugated form and in the pure compound. The intestinal absorption of them is through passive diffusion. Therefore, our findings conclude that the intestinal transport of RA in TL extracts was mainly penetrated as conjugated forms with glucuronic acid and/or sulfate across Caco-2 cells and transported via passive diffusion.     

Protective Role of Flavonoids against Intestinal Pro-Inflammatory Effects of Silver Nanoparticles

Silver nanoparticles (AgNP) have been increasingly incorporated into food-related and hygiene products for their unique antimicrobial and preservative properties. The consequent oral exposure may then result in unpredicted harmful effects in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), which should be considered in the risk assessment and risk management of these materials. In the present study, the toxic effects of polyethyleneimine (PEI)-coated AgNP (4 and 19 nm) were evaluated in GIT-relevant cells (Caco-2 cell line as a model of human intestinal cells, and neutrophils as a model of the intestinal inflammatory response). This study also evaluated the putative protective action of dietary flavonoids against such harmful effects. The obtained results showed that AgNP of 4 and 19 nm effectively induced Caco-2 cell death by apoptosis with concomitant production of nitric oxide, irrespective of the size. It was also observed that AgNP induced human neutrophil oxidative burst. Interestingly, some flavonoids, namely quercetin and quercetagetin, prevented the deleterious effects of AgNP in both cell types. Overall, the data of the present study provide a first insight into the promising protective role of flavonoids against the potentially toxic effects of AgNP at the intestinal level.     

2-DE and MS analysis of interactions between Lactobacillus fermentum I5007 and intestinal epithelial cells

Lactobacillus is a probiotic commonly used for supplementation to human and animal diets. In this study, we used 2-DE and MS to analyze changes in the proteomes of Lactobacillus and intestinal epithelial cells in two model systems. The in vivo and in vitro models were involved the inoculation of Lactobacillus fermentum I5007 into the rabbit jejunum for 4 h and the culture of the bacterium with Caco-2 cells for 1 h, respectively. Our results indicate that, after exposure to the intestinal environment, the bacterium exhibited decreases in key enzymes involved in energy metabolism (e.g., lactate dehydrogenase, dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase, and nicotinate phosphoribosyltransferase) and amino acid metabolism (e.g., arginyl-tRNA synthetase and aspartate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase), but increases in glycoside hydrolase (an enzyme for mucin degradation) and fructose-6-phosphate phosphoketolase (an enzyme of the pentose phosphate pathway). In response to an interaction with L. fermentum I5007, Caco-2 cells showed changes in proteins that were beneficial for gut integrity, including voltage-dependent anion channel 1, glutathione transferase, and heat shock protein gp96. On the basis of their functions, we suggest that these proteins serve as useful biomarkers for metabolic changes in Lactobacillus and intestinal epithelial cells in response to their interactions.     

Studies on Intestinal Transport of Ginsenoside Compatibility with Veratrum nigrum via Caco-2 Cell Monolayer Model Coupled with UPLC-ESI-MS Method

The Caco-2 cells have been recognized as effective tools to be applied to imitating the drug absorption in human intestine for the transport of drug. Herein, Caco-2 cell monolayer model was used to study the transport of the ginsenoside compatibility with Veratrum nigrum in different proportions. A specific high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry(HPLC-ESI-MS) method was developed for the semiquantitative determination of ginsenoside in intestinal transport with Dioscin as an internal standard. For the Caco-2 model constructed, two influencing factors were investigated, including time and concentration. The results suggest that the absorption of ginsenoside Re, Rg1, Rb1, Rc, Rb2 and Rd are time- and concentration-dependent and the excretions of Rb1, Rc, Rb2 and Rd have a relatronship with some transport proteins. The bioavailability of the ginsenosides has reduced compared to the single Panax ginseng extract when compatibility with a certain amount of Veratrum nigrum.     

Unequal hydrolysis of salicylic acid-D-alanine and salicylic acid-L-alanine conjugate in rabbit intestinal microorganisms.

The behavior of salicylic acid-D-alanine conjugate (salicyl-D-alanine) following intravenous, oral and intracecal administration was examined in rabbits, then compared with that of salicylic acid-L-alanine conjugate (salicyl-L-alanine) as reported previously. Following intravenous administration, salicyl-D-alanine eliminated rapidly from the blood, and its blood concentration was almost identical with that of salicyl-L-alanine. In both cases, salicylic acid could not be detected in the blood, indicating that systemic de-conjugation of D-alanine might not occur. Unchanged salicyl-D-alanine was found in the blood mainly following oral and intracecal administration of salicyl-D-alanine. On the other hand, salicylic acid formed extensively following oral and intracecal administration of salicyl-L-alanine, suggesting that the presystemic de-conjugation of D-alanine and L-alanine was unequal. Furthermore, in vitro incubation of salicyl-D-alanine with cecal content, in which the major source of salicyl-L-alanine hydrolysis is found, showed that the hydrolysis of salicyl-D-alanine was negligible in rabbit intestinal microorganisms.     

Anti-Obesity Effects of Matoa (Pometia pinnata) Fruit Peel Powder in High-Fat Diet-Fed Rats

Fruit peels, pericarps, or rinds are rich in phenolic/polyphenolic compounds with antioxidant properties and potentially beneficial effects against obesity and obesity-related non-communicable diseases. This study investigated the anti-obesity effects of matoa (Pometia pinnata) and salak (Salacca zalacca) fruit peel. Neither matoa peel powder (MPP) nor salak peel powder (SPP) affected the body weight, visceral fat weight, or serum glucose or lipid levels of Sprague–Dawley rats when included as 1% (w/w) of a high-fat diet (HFD). However, MPP significantly decreased the hepatic lipid level. MPP at a dose of 3% (w/w) of the HFD decreased body weight, visceral fat, and serum triglyceride levels as well as the hepatic lipid content. The inhibitory effect of MPP on hepatic lipid accumulation was not enhanced when its concentration was increased from 1% to 3% of the HFD. The anti-obesity effect of matoa was partly explained by the inhibitory effect of the matoa peel extract on fatty acid-induced secretion of ApoB-48 protein, a marker of intestinal chylomicrons, in differentiated Caco-2 cell monolayers. We identified hederagenin saponins that are abundant in MPP as potential anti-obesity substances. These results will contribute towards the development of functional foods with anti-obesity effects using the matoa fruit peel.     

Pharmacological properties of galenical preparation. XV. Pharmacokinetics study of evocarpine and its metabolite in rats.

It is known that when methanol extract of Evodia fruit is orally administered, 5-(1,4-dihydro-1-methyl-4-oxo-2-quinolin-2-yl) pentanoic acid (EVCA) is excreated as a matabolite in rat urine. In this study, we separated Evodia fruit extract into major alkaloids administered each alkaloid individually to male Wistar rats. Consequently, it was demonstrated that the original substance of the metabolite are evocarpine and its analogues, dihydroevocarpine and 1-methyl-2-undecenyl-4(1H)-quinolone. Investigation of a blood sample after oral administration of evocarpine by high performance liquid chromatography confirmed that the substance was absorbed without alteration. Pharmacokinetics of evocarpine after intravenous injection was expressed in a one-compartment model, showing a linear elimination of plasma evocarpine up to a dosage of 75 mg/kg. Total plasma clearance (CL), volume of distribution (Vd), and half-life (T1/2) of evocarpine were 60 ml/min.kg, 3.21/kg and 0.6 h-1, respectively. Metabolic ratio of evocarpine into EVCA after intravenous injection was 15.4%, and absorption ratio of the unaltered compound calculated from the levels of AUC after oral administration and intravenous injection was 4.7%. In this paper, it is shown that evocarpine is absorbed amount 100% when it is administered orally.     

Increasing the throughput and productivity of Caco-2 cell permeability assays using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry: application to resveratrol absorption and metabolism

The Caco-2 cell monolayer permeability assay has become a standard model of human intestinal absorption and transport. This paper reviews recent progress in increasing the throughput of Caco-2 cell monolayer assays and in expanding the scope of this assay to include modeling intestinal drug metabolism. The state-of-the-art in Caco-2 cell monolayer permeability assays combines multi-well plates fitted with semi-permeable inserts on which Caco-2 cells have been cultured with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) or LC-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) for the quantitative analysis of test compounds and the identification of their intestinal metabolites. After reviewing the progress in increasing the throughput of Caco-2 cell monolayer assays for both modeling human intestinal permeability or transport and the metabolism of xenobiotic compounds, we demonstrate the application of LC-MS and LC-MS-MS to the measurement of resveratrol permeability and metabolism in the Caco-2 model. trans-Resveratrol (trans-3,5,4'-trihydroxystilbene) is a polyphenolic compound occurring in grapes, peanuts and other food sources, that is under investigation as a cancer chemoprevention agent. The apparent permeability coefficient for apical (AP) to basolateral (BL) movement of resveratrol was 2.0 x 10(-5)cm/sec. Resveratrol was not a substrate for P-glycoprotein or the multi-drug resistance associated proteins (MRP). No phase I metabolites were observed, but the phase II conjugates resveratrol-3-glucuronide and resveratrol-3-sulfate was identified based on LC-MS and LC-MS-MS analysis and comparison with synthetic standards. Although these data indicate that resveratrol diffuses rapidly across the intestinal epithelium, extensive phase II metabolism during absorption might reduce resveratrol bioavailability.     

MoS2 nanosheets and bulk materials altered lipid profiles in 3D Caco-2 spheroids

MoS₂ nanosheets（NSs） are novel 2 D nanomaterials（NMs） with potential uses in many areas, and therefore oral exposure route to MoS₂ NSs is plausible. Currently, MoS₂ NSs are considered as biocompatible NMs, but there is lacking of systemic investigations to study the interactions of MoS₂ NSs with intestinal cells. In this study, we exposed the 3D Caco-2 spheroids to MoS₂ NSs or MoS₂ powders（denoted as MoS₂-bulk）, and inv...     

UVB-lnduced Decreased Resistance to Trichinella spiralis in the Rat Is Related to Impaired Cellular Immunity

Abstract— Our laboratory has demonstrated in preliminary experiments that UVB exposure using the Kromayer lamp can induce increased numbers of Trichinella spiralis larvae in carcasses of infected Wistar rats, without affecting specific antibody titers to this parasite. In this study, orally T. spiralis-infected Wistar rats were exposed to subery-themal doses of UVB radiation using FS40 lamps during different time periods before or after infection. A significant increase in the number of T. spiralis larvae was found in the carcasses of rats that were UVB irradiated daily for 7 consecutive days in the second week after infection. Additionally, increased numbers of larvae were also detected histologically in the tongue of rats that were exposed the first and the second week after infection. Lymphocyte stimulation assays using mesenteral lymph node cells indicated that UVB exposure also impaired the specific lymphocyte response to T. spiralis. Moreover, DTH responses to T. spiralis were severely impaired in rats that were UVB irradiated daily for 7 consecutive days in the second week after infection. Thus, these data combined with the data of the Kromayer study indicate that exposure of rats to FS40 irradiation following oral infection with T. spiralis leads to increased numbers of larvae in systemic sites and impaired T-cell immunity to the parasite.     

Capillary zone electrophoresis-based cytotoxicity analysis of Caco-2 cells

A capillary zone electrophoresis-based method to evaluate the cytotoxicity of substances to Caco-2 cells was established. The estimation of the injected cell number (500-5000) and the minor effect of injection condition on cytotoxicity determination were investigated. Caco-2 cells the best model of the intestinal absorptive epithelium, were treated with substances and then stained with Trypan Blue and fixed with paraformaldehyde. The treated Caco-2 cells were detected simultaneously at 590 nm and 214 nm, and the absorbance ratio of the two wavelengths (R(590/214)) can reflect simultaneously the loss of cell membrane integrity and the degradation/leak of intracellular components and indicate the cytotoxicity of substances. The cytotoxicity of the four substances sodium sulfite (Na(2)SO(3)), methyl mercury (MeHg), paclitaxel (PTX), and cadmium chloride (CdCl(2)) were determined and compared. There was no obvious cytotoxicity caused by 20 μM Na(2)SO(3) for 24 h treatment, and the toxicity of the other three toxicants was sequenced as: CdCl(2) > MeHg > PTX. The results are in good agreement with the references and the conventional Trypan Blue exclusion counting assay.     

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Entecavir 4'-Ester Derivatives

Entecavir can significantly inhibit the replication of HBV-DNA, reduce the HBV-DNA level in blood se- rum. But suffering from low oral bioavailability, entecavir has low intestinal membrane permeability and poor meta- bolic stability. In this study, 12 different derivatives of entecavir 4＇-ester were regioselectively synthesized and their apical-to-basolateral permeabilities across Caco-2 cells and HBV-DNA inhibitory efficacies were evaluated. Most of the compounds showed high permeabilities across Caco-2 cells compared with entecavir, compounds 5b and 5e also exhibited comparable anti-HBV activities with that of entecavir, especially.     

Photo-Protective and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Antidesma thwaitesianum Müll. Arg. Fruit Extract against UVB-Induced Keratinocyte Cell Damage

The main cause of most skin cancers is damage from UVB from sunlight, which penetrate the skin surface and induce inflammation. For this reason, this study aims to identify natural products with photo-protection properties and their mode of action by using the UVB-irradiated HaCaT keratinocyte model. Antidesma thwaitesianum fruit extracts at 25, 50, and 100 µg/mL recovered cell viability following UVB exposure in a dose-dependent manner. Cell survival was associated with the reduction in intracellular ROS and NO. In addition, we showed that the pre-treatment with the fruit extract lowered the phosphorylation level of two MAPK-signaling pathways: p38 MAPKs and JNKs. The resulting lower MAPK activation decreased their downstream pro-inflammatory cascade through COX-2 expression and subsequently reduced the PGE₂ proinflammatory mediator level. The photoprotective effects of the fruit extract were correlated with the presence of polyphenolic compounds, including cyanidin, ferulic acid, caffeic acid, vanillic acid, and protocatechuic acid, which have been previously described as antioxidant and anti-inflammation. Together, we demonstrated that the pre-treatment with the fruit extract had photo-protection by inhibiting oxidative stress and subsequently lowered stress-induced MAPK responses. Therefore, this fresh fruit is worthy of investigation to be utilized as a skincare ingredient for preventing UVB-induced skin damage.     

Application of Ulex europaeus agglutinin I-modified liposomes for oral vaccine: Ex Vivo bioadhesion and in Vivo immunity

The conjugation of Ulex europaeus agglutinin I (UEAI) onto surface of liposomes has been demonstrated to effectively improve the intestinal absorption of antigen, subsequently induced strong mucosal and systemic immune responses. In this context, we prepared bovine serum albumin (BSA)-encapsulating UEAI-modified liposomes (UEAI-LIP) and unmodified ones (LIP). The specific bioadhesion on mice gastro-intestinal mucosa was studied ex vivo. An important increase of interaction between UEAI-conjugated liposomes and the intestinal segments with Peyer's Patches (PPs) was observed compared with the unconjugated one (p<0.01). However, under the presence of α-L-fucose, which is the reported specific sugar for UEAI, specifically inhibited the activity of these conjugates. The immune-stimulating activity in vivo was studied by measuring immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels in serum and immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels in intestinal mucosal secretions following oral administration of BSA solution, LIP and UEAI-LIP in mice. Results indicate that antigen encapsulated in liposomes, especially the UEAI-modified ones, was favorable for inducing immune response. At 42 d after the first immunization, the highest IgG and IgA antibody levels produced by UEAI-LIP occurred, respectively showing 4.4-fold and 5-fold higher levels compared to those of the groups receiving BSA alone. This data demonstrated high potential of UEAI-modified liposomes for their use as carrier for oral vaccines.     

Ameliorating effects of Tamarindus indica fruit extract on anti-tubercular drugs induced liver toxicity in rats

The study aimed to evaluate the hepatoprotective potential of aqueous extract of Tamarindus indica fruit against combination of two antitubercular drugs viz. Isoniazid and Rifampicin induced hepatotoxicity in rats. In vitro antioxidant activity of aqueous extract of T. indica by DPPH–HPLC method was found to be 81.48%. Treatment with aqueous extract of T. indica significantly reduced the elevated levels of biochemical markers such as SGOT, SGPT, ALP, bilirubin, TBARS and increased the albumin level as well antioxidant activities of SOD, CAT and GSH in intoxicated rats. The biochemical changes were supported by histological observations. Results of this study clearly demonstrate that aqueous extract of T. indica fruit protects against anti tuberculosis induced oxidative liver damage in rats and thus possess significant hepatoprotective activity. Further, it could be suggested that supplementation with this food extract might prove beneficial in the individuals on anti-TB drugs.     

Ameliorative Effect of Citropten Isolated from Citrus aurantifolia Peel Extract as a Modulator of T Cell and Intestinal Epithelial Cell Activity in DSS-Induced Colitis

Citropten is a coumarin that is mainly found in fruits of Rutaceae trees, but its anti-inflammatory activities in colitis is still unknown. In this study, we investigated its attenuating effect of citropten isolated from Citrus aurantifolia extract on DSS-induced colitis through the modulation of the activity of T cells and intestinal epithelial cells. We found that pre-treatment with citropten downregulates the activity of T cells and intestinal epithelial cells without a negative effect on the viability of Jurkat and HT-29 cells. The results from the Western blot analysis revealed that pre-treatment with citropten reduces the NFκB and MAPK signaling pathway in activated T cells and intestinal epithelial cells. We elucidated that the oral administration of citropten alleviates the colonic inflammation and activity of effector T cells in DSS-induced colitis by measuring changes in body weight, histological scoring from H&E-stained sections, mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the phosphorylation level of the MAPK signaling pathway.     

Quantitative thin-layer chromatography in accelerated stability studies for prediction of inherent sensitivity of drugs toward oxygen

This paper discusses a novel technique for studying the inherent sensitivity of materials toward oxygen and the utility of quantitative thin-layer chromatography, as a tool in such studies. The degradation generally followed first order kinetics up to about 60% decomposition, indicating that the usual kinetic treatment applied to homogeneous systems can be used. The method can also detect degradation products, in many cases adding a considerable diagnostic element to its predictive value. Among the model compounds tested testosterone was the most stable with ca. 95% recovery following a 190-h exposure to air on standard silica gel plates. The half-life time of the other model substances under similar experimental conditions was estimated by means of direct measurements or by extrapolation, and found to range from approximately 300 h to 1 h 10 min with cortisone marking the upper value and cholesta-3,5-diene the lower one.