title: Cellular uptake and transport of zein nanoparticles: effects of sodium caseinate.
abstract: Cellular evaluation of zein nanoparticles has not been studied systematically due to their poor redispersibility. Caseinate (CAS)-stabilized zein nanoparticles have been recently developed with better redispersibility in salt solutions. In this study, zein-CAS nanoparticles were prepared with different zein/CAS mass ratios. The prepared nanoparticles demonstrated good stabilities to maintain particle size (120-140 nm) in cell culture medium and HBSS buffer at 37 °C. The nanoparticles showed no cytotoxicity for Caco-2 cells for 72 h. CAS not only significantly enhanced cell uptake of zein nanoparticles in a concentration- and time-dependent manner but also remarkably improved epithelial transport through Caco-2 cell monolayer. The cell uptake of zein-CAS nanoparticles indicated an energy-dependent endocytosis process as evidenced by cell uptake under blocking conditions, that is, 4 °C, sodium azide, and colchicine. Fluorescent microscopy clearly showed the internalization of zein-CAS nanoparticles. This study may shed some light on the cellular evaluations of hydrophobic protein nanoparticles.
authors.affiliation: 0112 Skinner Building, Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland 20742, United States.
authors.forename: Yangchao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Zi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Teng
authors.forename: Thomas T Y
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D001692:Biological Transport; D018938:Caco-2 Cells; D002364:Caseins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D002477:Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000295:instrumentation; D006801:Humans; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D010316:Particle Size; D015028:Zein / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002364:Caseins; D004337:Drug Carriers; D015028:Zein