Cyclodextrins are widely used excipients, composed of glucopyranose units with a cyclic structure. One of their most important properties, is that their inner cavity is hydrophobic, while their surface is hydrophilic. This enables them for the complex formation with lipophilic molecules. They have several applications in the pharmaceutical field like solubility enhancers or the building blocks of larger drug delivery systems. On the other hand, they have numerous effects on cells or biological barriers. In this review the most important properties of cyclodextrins and cyclodextrin-based drug delivery systems are summarized with special focus on their biological activity.
Chrysin is a bioflavonoid that can be found in natural products such as honey and propolis, and it possesses several biological effects such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer activity. However, it is poorly soluble in water, and its bioavailability is limited. The aim of this research is to investigate the chrysin solubilization capacity of different β-cylcodextrin derivatives and compare their biological activities. Chrysin was complexed with β-cyclodextrin (βCD), hydroxypropyl-β-, (HPBCD) sulfobutylether-β-, (SBECD), and randomly-methylated-β-cyclodextrin (RAMEB) by the lyophilization method in 1:1 and 1:2 molar ratios. The solubilities of the chrysin–cyclodextrin complexes were tested, and the solubilization abilities of cyclodextrins were studied by phase solubility experiments. The cytotoxicity of the complexes was measured by the MTT method, and the permeability enhancement was tested on Caco-2 monolayers. The solubility study showed that the complexes formed with RAMEB had the highest solubility in water. The phase solubility experiments confirmed the strongest interaction between RAMEB and chrysin. In the viability test, none of the complexes showed cytotoxicity up to 100 µM concentration. The permeability study revealed that both at 1:1 and 1:2 ratios, the RAMEB complexes were the most effective to enhance chrysin permeability through the Caco-2 monolayers. In conclusion, cyclodextrins, especially RAMEB, are suitable for improving chrysin solubility and absorption.
Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) is a potent anti-inflammatory peptide with cytoprotective effect in various tissues. The present investigation demonstrates the ability of α-MSH to interact with intestinal epithelial cell monolayers and mitigate inflammatory processes of the epithelial barrier. The protective effect of α-MSH was studied on Caco-2 human intestinal epithelial monolayers, which were disrupted by exposure to tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β. The barrier integrity was assessed by measuring transepithelial electric resistance (TEER) and permeability for marker molecules. Caco-2 monolayers were evaluated by immunohistochemistry for expression of melanocortin-1 receptor and tight junction proteins ZO-1 and claudin-4. The activation of nuclear factor kappa beta (NF-κB) was detected by fluorescence microscopy and inflammatory cytokine expression was assessed by flow cytometric bead array cytokine assay. Exposure of Caco-2 monolayers to proinflammatory cytokines lowered TEER and increased permeability for fluorescein and albumin, which was accompanied by changes in ZO-1 and claudin-4 immunostaining. α-MSH was able to prevent inflammation-associated decrease of TEER in a dose-dependent manner and reduce the increased permeability for paracellular marker fluorescein. Further immunohistochemistry analysis revealed proinflammatory cytokine induced translocation of the NF-κB p65 subunit into Caco-2 cell nuclei, which was inhibited by α-MSH. As a result the IL-6 and IL-8 production of Caco-2 monolayers were also decreased with different patterns by the addition of α-MSH to the culture medium. In conclusion, Caco-2 cells showed a positive immunostaining for melanocortin-1 receptor and α-MSH protected Caco-2 cells against inflammatory barrier dysfunction and inflammatory activation induced by tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β cytokines.
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