Mechanism Study on Nanoparticle Negative Surface Charge Modification by Ascorbyl Palmitate and Its Improvement of Tumor Targeting Ability

Surface charge polarity and density influence the immune clearance and cellular uptake of intravenously administered lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), thus determining the efficiency of their delivery to the target. Here, we modified the surface charge with ascorbyl palmitate (AsP) used as a negatively charged lipid. AsP-PC-LNPs were prepared by dispersion and ultrasonication of AsP and phosphatidylcholine (PC) composite films at various ratios. AsP inserted into the PC film with its polar head outward. The pK_a for AsP was 4.34, and its ion form conferred the LNPs with negative surface charge. Zeta potentials were correlated with the amount and distribution of AsP on the LNPs surface. DSC, Raman and FTIR spectra, and molecular dynamics simulations disclosed that AsP distributed homogeneously in PC at 1–8% (w/w), and there were strong hydrogen bonds between the polar heads of AsP and PC (PO²⁻), which favored LNPs’ stability. But at AsP:PC > 8% (w/w), the excessive AsP changed the interaction modes between AsP and PC. The AsP–PC composite films became inhomogeneous, and their phase transition behaviors and Raman and FTIR spectra were altered. Our results clarified the mechanism of surface charge modification by AsP and provided a rational use of AsP as a charged lipid to modify LNP surface properties in targeted drug delivery systems. Furthermore, AsP–PC composites were used as phospholipid-based biological membranes to prepare paclitaxel-loaded LNPs, which had stable surface negative charge, better tumor targeting and tumor inhibitory effects.     

CeO2纳米晶包裹碳纳米管修饰电极对特布他林的电催化测定

制备出CeO2纳米晶包裹碳纳米管修饰玻碳电极,并运用循环伏安法、交流阻抗谱探讨了该电极的电化学特性。研究了特布他林在该修饰电极上的直接电化学行为。实验结果表明,特布他林在该修饰电极上具有良好的电流响应,与裸玻碳电极相比在pH 7.0缓冲溶液中氧化峰电位负移314 mV。采用计时电流法测定特布他林,其氧化峰电流与浓度在5.0×10-7~1.0×10-4mol/L范围呈良好线性关系,线性方程为:Ip(μA)=4.952-0.04724c(μmol/L),线性相关系数为0.9920,检出限为5.0×10-8mol/L(信噪比为3)。该电极已用于特布他林片剂中特布他林的测定。     

Exogenous Application of Green Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) to Improve the Germination,Physiochemical, and Yield Parameters of Wheat Plants under Salinity Stress

Agriculture is the backbone of every developing country. Among various crops, wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) belongs to the family Poaceae and is the most important staple food crop of various countries. Different biotic (viruses, bacteria and fungi) and abiotic stresses (water logging, drought and salinity) adversely affect the qualitative and quantitative attributes of wheat. Among these stresses, salinity stress is a very important limiting factor affecting the morphological, physiological, biochemical attributes and grain yield of wheat. This research work was carried out to evaluate the influence of phytosynthesized TiO₂ NPs on the germination, physiochemical, and yield attributes of wheat varieties in response to salinity. TiO₂ NPs were synthesized using TiO₂ salt and a Buddleja asiatica plant extract as a reducing and capping agent. Various concentrations of TiO₂ nanoparticles (20, 40, 60 and 80 mg/L) and salt solutions (NaCl) (100 and 150 mM) were used. A total of 20 mg/L and 40 mg/L improve germination attributes, osmotic and water potential, carotenoid, total phenolic, and flavonoid content, soluble sugar and proteins, proline and amino acid content, superoxide dismutase activity, and reduce malondialdhehyde (MDA) content at both levels of salinity. These two concentrations also improved the yield attributes of wheat varieties at both salinity levels. The best results were observed at 40 mg/L of TiO₂ NPs at both salinity levels. However, the highest concentrations (60 and 80 mg/L) of TiO₂ NPs showed negative effects on germination, physiochemical and yield characteristics and causes stress in both wheat varieties under control irrigation conditions and salinity stress. Therefore, in conclusion, the findings of this research are that the foliar application of TiO₂ NPs can help to improve tolerance against salinity stress in plants.     

Gold Nanoparticles as Effective ion Traps in Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Cross-Linked by Metal-Ligand Coordination

At this time, the development of advanced elastic dielectric materials for use in organic devices, particularly in organic field-effect transistors, is of considerable interest to the scientific community. In the present work, flexible poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) specimens cross-linked by means of ZnCl₂-bipyridine coordination with an addition of 0.001 wt. %, 0.0025 wt. %, 0.005 wt. %, 0.04 wt. %, 0.2 wt. %, and 0.4 wt. % of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were prepared in order to understand the effect of AuNPs on the electrical properties of the composite materials formed. The broadband dielectric spectroscopy measurements revealed one order of magnitude decrease in loss tangent, compared to the coordinated system, upon an introduction of 0.001 wt. % of AuNPs into the polymeric matrix. An introduction of AuNPs causes damping of conductivity within the low-temperature range investigated. These effects can be explained as a result of trapping the Cl⁻ counter ions by the nanoparticles. The study has shown that even a very low concentration of AuNPs (0.001 wt. %) still brings about effective trapping of Cl⁻ counter anions, therefore improving the dielectric properties of the investigated systems. The modification proposed reveals new perspectives for using AuNPs in polymers cross-linked by metal-ligand coordination systems.     

Established Liposome-Coated IMB16-4 Polymeric Nanoparticles (LNPs) for Increasing Cellular Uptake and Anti-Fibrotic Effects In Vitro

As a global health problem, liver fibrosis still does not have approved treatment. It was proved that N-(3,4,5-trichlorophenyl)-2(3-nitrobenzenesulfonamide) benzamide (IMB16-4) has anti-hepatic fibrosis activity. However, IMB16-4 displays poor water solubility and poor bioavailability. We are devoted to developing biodegraded liposome-coated polymeric nanoparticles (LNPs) as IMB16-4 delivery systems for improving aqueous solubility, cellular uptake, and anti-fibrotic effects. The physical states of IMB16-4−LNPs were analyzed using a transmission electron microscope (TEM), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The results show that IMB16-4−LNPs increased the drug loading compared to liposomes and enhanced cellular uptake behavior compared with IMB16-4−NPs. In addition, IMB16-4−LNPs could repress the expression of hepatic fibrogenesis-associated proteins, indicating that IMB16-4−LNPs exhibited evident anti-fibrotic effects.     

氧化镍纳米晶体的制备及其过程分析

为了开发一种新型纳米氧化镍催化剂,能有效地应用于生物质气化过程中去除焦油,本文采用均匀沉淀法成功地制备了纳米氧化镍晶体,并利用TGA、FTIR、XRD、BET、YEM等分析手段对前驱体和产品的性能进行了表征.同时,对前驱体的分解过程进行了全面的分析.分析结果表明前驱体是水合碱式碳酸镍,其分子式为NiCO3·Ni(OH)2·nH2O,它能在360℃下完全分解转化为纳米NiO,同时煅烧条件对合成纳米NiO的晶体粒径影响很大.实验证实所得纳米NiO颗粒呈球形,分散性好,纯度较高,属立方晶系结构,平均粒径约为7.5nm,其BET表面积为187.98m2/g,这显示纳米NiO晶体具有作为高效催化材料的应用可行性.     

纳米铂微粒修饰电极上甲醛电催化氧化的电位振荡和电流振荡

通过阴极还原-阳极氧化法制备了钛基纳米铂微粒修饰电极, 扫描电镜观察发现, 分布于钛基体表面的氧化钛膜三维网状孔道中的纳米铂微粒具有高度分散状态. 采用多种电化学手段在该电极上不仅观察到甲醛在恒电流条件下产生的电位振荡, 而且在循环伏安和恒电位两种条件下均观察到强烈的电流振荡, 这进一步证明高度分散的纳米铂微粒使电极的催化活性大大提高, 促进了甲醛及其毒化中间产物的电催化氧化过程, 从而有利于电极上电化学振荡的产生. 研究结果还表明, 甲醛底物浓度、硫酸介质浓度、恒电位或恒电流大小等多种因素对振荡强度、范围或类型会产生规律性的影响.     

Development and Optimization of Ciprofloxacin HCl-Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles Using Box–Behnken Experimental Design

Various chitosan (CS)-based nanoparticles (CS-NPs) of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride (CHCl) have been investigated for therapeutic delivery and to enhance antimicrobial efficacy. However, the Box–Behnken design (BBD)-supported statistical optimization of NPs of CHCl has not been performed in the literature. As a result, the goal of this study was to look into the key interactions and quadratic impacts of formulation variables on the performance of CHCl-CS-NPs in a systematic way. To optimize CHCl-loaded CS-NPs generated by the ionic gelation process, the response surface methodology (RSM) was used. The BBD was used with three factors on three levels and three replicas at the central point. Tripolyphosphate, CS concentrations, and ultrasonication energy were chosen as independent variables after preliminary screening. Particle size (PS), polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential (ZP), encapsulation efficiency (EE), and in vitro release were the dependent factors (responses). Prepared NPs were found in the PS range of 198–304 nm with a ZP of 27–42 mV. EE and drug release were in the range of 23–45% and 36–61%, respectively. All of the responses were optimized at the same time using a desirability function based on Design Expert^® modeling and a desirability factor of 95%. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the improved formula against two bacterial strains, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, was determined. The MIC of the optimized NPs was found to be decreased 4-fold compared with pure CHCl. The predicted and observed values for the optimized formulation were nearly identical. The BBD aided in a better understanding of the intrinsic relationship between formulation variables and responses, as well as the optimization of CHCl-loaded CS-NPs in a time- and labor-efficient manner.     

Preparation of CdO nanoparticles by mechanochemical reaction

CdO nanoparticles of 43 nm in crystal size were successfully synthesized by the mechanochemical reaction (CdCl₂ + Na₂CO₃) with NaCl as a diluent and subsequent thermal treatment at 700°C for 2 h. The samples were characterized by differential thermal analysis (DTA), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Effect of calcination temperature on the crystal size of CdO nanoparticles was primarily investigated. The apparent activation energy of CdO nanoparticle formation during thermal treatment was calculated to be 12.2 kJ/mol.     

Development of Neuropeptide Y and Cell-Penetrating Peptide MAP Adsorbed onto Lipid Nanoparticle Surface

Functionalization of nanoparticles surfaces have been widely used to improve diagnostic and therapeutic biological outcome. Several methods can be applied to modify nanoparticle surface; however, in this article we focus toward a simple and less time-consuming method. We applied an adsorption method on already formulated nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) to functionalize these nanoparticles with three distinct peptides sequences. We selected a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP), a lysine modified model amphipathic peptide (Lys(N₃)-MAP), CPP/drug complex, and the neuropeptide Y. The aim of this work is to evaluate the effect of several parameters such as peptide concentration, different types of NLC, different types of peptides, and incubation medium on the physicochemical proprieties of NLC and determine if adsorption occurs. The preliminary results from zeta potential analysis indicate some evidence that this method was successful in adsorbing three types of peptides onto NLC. Several non-covalent interactions appear to be involved in peptide adsorption with the possibility of three adsorption peptide hypothesis that may occur with NLC in solution. Moreover, and for the first time, in silico docking analysis demonstrated strong interaction between CPP MAP and NPY Y1 receptor with high score values when compared to standard antagonist and NPY.