There is a clinical need for new, more effective treatments for chronic and debilitating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. In this study, we characterized a specific population of nanoparticles derived from edible ginger (GDNPs 2) and demonstrated their efficient colon targeting following oral administration. GDNPs 2 had an average size of ~230 nm and exhibited a negative zeta potential. These nanoparticles contained high levels of lipids, a few proteins, ~125 microRNAs (miRNAs), and large amounts of ginger bioactive constituents (6-gingerol and 6-shogaol). We also demonstrated that GDNPs 2 were mainly taken up by intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) and macrophages, and were nontoxic. Using different mouse colitis models, we showed that GDNPs 2 reduced acute colitis, enhanced intestinal repair, and prevented chronic colitis and colitis-associated cancer (CAC). 2D-DIGE/MS analyses further identified molecular target candidates of GDNPs 2 involved in these mouse models. Oral administration of GDNPs 2 increased the survival and proliferation of IECs and reduced the pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β), and increased the anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10 and IL-22) in colitis models, suggesting that GDNPs 2 has the potential to attenuate damaging factors while promoting the healing effect. In conclusion, GDNPs 2, nanoparticles derived from edible ginger, represent a novel, natural delivery mechanism for improving IBD prevention and treatment with an added benefit of overcoming limitations such as potential toxicity and limited production scale that are common with synthetic nanoparticles.

The use of nanotechnology for drug delivery has shown great promise for improving cancer treatment. However, potential toxicity, hazardous environmental effects, issues with large-scale production, and potential excessive costs are challenges that confront their further clinical applications. Here, we describe a nanovector made from ginger-derived lipids that can serve as a delivery platform for the therapeutic agent doxorubicin (Dox) to treat colon cancer. We created nanoparticles from ginger and reassembled their lipids into ginger-derived nanovectors (GDNVs). A subsequent characterization showed that GDNVs were efficiently taken up by colon cancer cells. Viability and apoptosis assays and electric cell-substrate impedance-sensing technology revealed that GDNVs exhibited excellent biocompatibility up to 200 μmol/l; by contrast, cationic liposomes at the same concentrations decreased cell proliferation and increased apoptosis. GDNVs were capable of loading Dox with high efficiency and showed a better pH-dependent drug-release profile than commercially available liposomal-Dox. Modified GDNVs conjugated with the targeting ligand folic acid mediated targeted delivery of Dox to Colon-26 tumors in vivo and enhanced the chemotherapeutic inhibition of tumor growth compared with free drug. Current experiments explore the feasibility of producing nature-derived nanoparticles that are effective as a treatment vehicle while potentially attenuating the issues related to traditional synthetic nanoparticles.

These GDLVs have great promise as efficient siRNA-delivery vehicles while potentially obviating issues related to the traditional synthetic nanoparticles. As such, they help shift the current paradigm of siRNA delivery away from artificially synthesized nanoparticles toward the use of naturally derived nanovehicles from edible plants.

Our study demonstrates a convenient, orally administered 6-shogaol drug delivery system that effectively targets colitis tissue, alleviates colitis symptoms, and accelerates colitis wound repair. This system may represent a promising therapeutic approach for treating inflammatory bowel disease [IBD].

Combination therapy is an emerging strategy that is under intensive preclinical investigation for the treatment of various diseases. CD98 is highly overexpressed on the surfaces of epithelial cells and macrophages in the colon tissue with ulcerative colitis (UC), which is usually associated with mucosal damage and inflammation. We previously proved that CD98 siRNA (siCD98)-induced down-regulation of CD98 in colitis tissue decreased the severity of UC to a certain extent. In an effort to further improve the therapeutic efficacy, we aim to simultaneously deliver siCD98 in combination with a potent anti-inflammatory agent, curcumin (CUR), using hyaluronic acid (HA)-functionalized polymeric nanoparticles (NPs). The resultant spherical HA-siCD98/CUR-NPs are featured by a desirable particle size (∼246 nm) and slightly negative zeta potential (∼-14 mV). The NPs functionalized with HA are able to guide the co-delivery of drugs to the targeted cells related to UC therapy (colonic epithelial cells and macrophages). Compared to either siCD98- or CUR-based monotherapy, co-delivery of siCD98 and CUR by HA-functionalized NPs can exert combinational effects against UC by protecting the mucosal layer and alleviating inflammation both in vitro and in vivo. This study shows the promising capability of the co-delivered siCD98 and CUR for boosting the conventional monotherapy via this novel nanotherapeutic agent, which offers a structurally simple platform for orally administered delivery of drugs to target cells in UC therapy.