title: Self-assembled nanoparticles of glycyrrhetic acid-modified pullulan as a novel carrier of curcumin.
abstract: Glycyrrhetic acid (GA)-modified pullulan nanoparticles (GAP NPs) were synthesized as a novel carrier of curcumin (CUR) with a degree of substitution (DS) of GA moieties within the range of 1.2-6.2 groups per hundred glucose units. In the present study, we investigated the physicochemical characteristics, release behavior, in vitro cytotoxicity and cellular uptake of the particles. Self-assembled GAP NPs with spherical shapes could readily improve the water solubility and stability of CUR. The CUR release was sustained and pH-dependent. The cellular uptake of CUR-GAP NPs was confirmed by green fluorescence in the cells. An MTT study showed CUR-GAP NPs with higher cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells than free CUR, but GAP NPs had no significant cytotoxicity. GAP is thus an excellent carrier for the solubilization, stabilization, and controlled delivery of CUR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China.
authors.forename: Roufen
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, First Affiliated Hospital, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China.
authors.forename: Fuchun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
authors.forename: Shuping
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Medical College, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410013, China.
authors.forename: Xiaojun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China.
authors.forename: Yanmei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China.
authors.forename: Fenfei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China.
authors.forename: Fen
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shantou Marine Plants Experiment Station, Shantou 515041, China.
authors.forename: Jiaxiong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China. chenyicun@yeah.net.
authors.forename: Yicun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China. ggshi@stu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ganggang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003474:Curcumin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D004355:Drug Stability; D005936:Glucans / Q000737:chemistry*; D006034:Glycyrrhetinic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D053769:Nanocapsules / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D012995:Solubility; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005936:Glucans; D053769:Nanocapsules; C009109:pullulan; D003474:Curcumin; D006034:Glycyrrhetinic Acid