Composition-Switchable Liquid Crystalline Nanostructures as Green Formulations of Curcumin and Fish Oil

Abstract

Green compositions and processes for fabrication of dual-and multi-loaded nanocarriers with antioxidant functionality and neuroprotective, cardioprotective, antiviral, and antiproliferative activities are of broad interest for innovations in pharmaceutics and nutraceutics. Co-encapsulation of curcumin (studied as a key multipurpose phytochemical antioxidant) with ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) (studied as active ingredients of natural fish oil) may increase the oxidative stability of selfassembled formulations aiming at development of "food drugs" and prevention of disease progression in various pathological states. The objective of this work is to prepare selfassembled lyotropic liquid crystalline nanostructures as dual-loaded biodegradable carriers of ω-3 PUFA-fish oil and curcumin. A detailed structural phase diagram of ternary [monoolein (MO) -PEGylated lipid mixture] / [fish oil -curcumin] / water system is created. A composition-mediated switch between nanostructures of different topologies and polymorphic states is achieved through varying the ratios between the amphiphilic monoglyceride ingredient, fish oil and water, which yielded cubic, sponge, and lamellar mesophases of tunable nanoscale repeat spacings. Synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) studies are performed with the lyotropic liquid crystalline nanostructures along compositional dilution lines. The temperature effect is examined at 22 °C and 5 °C with regard to preparation conditions and mesophase stability on storage.Bulk mesophases are dispersed into lipid nanoparticles at 22 °C, the structures and topologies of which are revealed by SAXS and cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) imaging. The new knowledge about the controlled multicomponent 3 supramolecular assembly and the achieved stabilization of low-temperature cubic phases (hydrated in 5 wt% D-(+)-glucose) should facilitate the development of cost-effective stable and safe delivery systems of weakly soluble natural antioxidant compounds coencapsulated with ω-3 PUFA oils.

Investigation of Cellular Interactions of Lipid-Structured Nanoparticles With Oral Mucosal Epithelial Cells

“…The AFM images show that the sizes visualized are consistent with the sizes measured. Moreover, they suggest that SLN and NLC particles are spherically shaped which coincides with studies performed by Tetyczka et al ( Tetyczka et al, 2019 ) and Rakotoarisoa et al ( Rakotoarisoa et al, 2021 ) using cryo-transmission electron microscopy combined with synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering. The shifts in the thermal profiles of the particles allowed identifying the type of lipid system present.…”

Omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acid encapsulation system: Physical and oxidative stability, and medical applications

“…Recently, Rakotoarisoa et al. (2021) developed a cubic structure of liquid crystal nanoparticles for dual loading of fish oil and curcumin. The study found that as the moisture content increased, the structure of the liquid crystalline gradually transformed from cubes to a mixture of cubes and sponges.…”

“…The addition of EPA caused the lipid membrane of monoolein to form sponges and nanosponges when the MO/EPA ratio was 3:7, and contained the EPA with the highest content at the same time. Recently,Rakotoarisoa et al (2021) developed a cubic structure of liquid crystal nanoparticles for dual loading of fish oil and curcumin. The study found that as the moisture content increased, the structure of the liquid crystalline gradually transformed from cubes to a mixture of cubes and sponges.…”

Transformation of Lipid Vesicles into Micelles by Adding Nonionic Surfactants: Elucidating the Structural Pathway and the Intermediate Structures

“…Recent studies have used cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) coupled with small-angle X-ray scattering to characterize the morphology of nanostructures formed during structural transitions in amphiphilic mixtures. 12 − 14 The combination of these nanoscale characterization techniques was used to elegantly describe a transition from lipid vesicles to flattened sponge-like structures of bilayers containing pores. 12 Additionally, numerous studies have reported vesicle to micelle structural transitions in mixed amphiphilic systems.…”