Characterizing Kaempferia parviflora extracellular vesicles, a nanomedicine candidate

Abstract

Plant-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a promising candidate for nanomedicine delivery due to their bioactive cargos, high biocompatibility to human cells, biodegradability, low cytotoxicity, and potential for large-scale production. However, the research on EVs derived from medicinal plants is very limited. In this study, Kaempferia parviflora extracellular vesicles (KPEVs) were isolated by differential and sucrose density gradient centrifugation, and their size, morphology, and surface charge were characterized using transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. The biological properties of KPEVs, including their bioactive compound composition, gastric uptake, cytotoxicity, acid tolerance, and storage stability, were also examined. In addition, KPEVs had an average and uniform size of 200–300 nm and a negative surface charge of 14.7 ± 3.61 mV. Moreover, 5,7-dimethoxyflavone, the major bioactive compound of KP, was packaged into KPEVs. Meanwhile, KPEVs were resistant to gastric digestion and stably maintained at −20°C and −80°C for 8 weeks with no freeze-thaw cycle. The lipid hydrolysis during EVs storage at room temperature and 4°C were also demonstrated for the first time. Furthermore, the labeled KPEVs were internalized into adenocarcinoma gastric cells, and the cell viability was reduced in a dose-dependent manner, according to the results of the thiazolyl blue tetrazolium assay. Our study supports the potential application of KPEVs as a vehicle for anticancer or oral drugs.

Plant-derived nanovesicles: Current understanding and applications for cancer therapy

“…A study on vesicles extracted from Kaempferia parviflora rhizomes reported similar results: that −20 °C and −80 °C conditions effectively preserved the properties of samples, such as size, shape, surface charge, and fatty acid content after 8 weeks, compared to 4 °C and room temperature conditions. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles led to enlarged vesicle sizes and decreased surface potentials [ 74 ]. Another group showed that ginger-derived nanovectors maintained their sizes and charges after storage for 25 days at 4 °C in pH 7.4 buffer [ 82 ].…”

Plant-derived nanoparticles as alternative therapy against Diarrheal pathogens in the era of antimicrobial resistance: A review

“…Chemical methods typically involve the use of chemicals, which may be harmful to humans under certain conditions ( Karimi-Maleh et al, 2021 ). Due to these limitations, recent studies typically focus on biological synthetic methods due to their non-toxicity, cheap, and environmentally friendly nature ( Zhang et al, 2016 ; Nemidkanam and Chaichanawongsaroj, 2022 ). Plants are a major source of different types of phytochemicals with numerous biomedical applications and the extracts are used to treat various diseases.…”

“…Metal-free PDNPs are environmental friendly, toxic chemical free, cheap, and energy serving ( Kharissova et al, 2019 ; Surendran et al, 2021 ). The potential to derive metal-free NPs with medicinal properties from plants has gained more attention worldwide ( Zhang et al, 2016 ; Saravanan et al, 2021 ; Surendran et al, 2021 ; Liu et al, 2022 ; Nemidkanam and Chaichanawongsaroj, 2022 ). Liu et al (2022) reported the therapeutic ability of metal-free PDNPs on gut microbiota while Xiao et al (2018) highlighted the therapeutic efficacy of metal-free NPs synthesized from 11 edible fruits and vegetables.…”

Plant-derived extracellular vesicles (PDEVs) in nanomedicine for human disease and therapeutic modalities

“…The EVs isolated from Kaempferia parviflora (KPEVs) had the attractive ability to antagonize tumorigenesis. The engineered KPEVs were stably absorbed into the gastric adenocarcinoma (AGS) cells, leading to the suppression of cell viability in a dose-dependent manner [ 60 ]. Other interesting findings were the identification of exosome-like nanotherapeutics from tea flowers [ 61 ] and tea leaves [ 62 ].…”

“…Moreover, the intrinsic properties of isolated PDEVs are subject to change with some physical parameters, including pH values, temperature, and other processing factors [ 3 , 15 ]. Under a simulated stomach condition, the PDEVs have the potential to resist gastric digestion and maintain high stability [ 60 ]. Unfortunately, at the moment, few studies have specifically investigated the effect of the environment on the structural integrity and bioactivity of PDEVs [ 109 ].…”