title: Silk fibroin nanoparticles: Efficient vehicles for the natural antioxidant quercetin.
abstract: This article describes how silk fibroin nanoparticles (SFNs) are capable of adsorbing and releasing quercetin (Q) and how its integrity is highly preserved, as confirmed by antioxidant activity assays. Q loading onto SFNs was optimized in terms of the Q/SFN ratio (w/w), time of adsorption and solvent mixture. Quercetin-loaded silk fibroin nanoparticles (QSFNs) were characterized using the dynamic light scattering technique to measure the diameter (Z-Average) and Z-potential (ζ). Loaded particles were slightly bigger than the SFNs, while their ζ was less negative. The antioxidant activity against DPPH showed that the Q loaded in QSFNs not only retains the antioxidant activity but also has a synergistic scavenging activity due the intrinsic antioxidant activity of the SF. The drug loading content (DLC) and the encapsulation efficiency (EE) varied with the relation between Q and SFN in the loading solution. The sustained release of Q occurred throughout the experiment both in phosphate buffer saline (pH 7.4) and simulated intestinal fluid (pH 6.8). The results point to SFNs as promising candidates for Q loading, transport and gastrointestinal delivery with potential applications in nanomedicine, while retaining their nano-size and their antioxidant properties.
authors.affiliation: Departmento de Biotecnología, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Alimentario (IMIDA), La Alberca, Murcia, 30150, Spain. Electronic address: antonioa.lozano@carm.es.
authors.forename: Antonio Abel
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Lozano-Pérez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Producción, Centro Nacional de Sanidad Agropecuaria (CENSA), San José de las Lajas (Mayabeque), 32700, Cuba.
authors.forename: Héctor Correa
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Rivero
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Agrícolas (INCA) San José de Las Lajas (Mayabeque), 32700, Cuba.
authors.forename: María Del Carmen
authors.initials: MDC
authors.lastname: Pérez Hernández
authors.affiliation: Departmento de Biotecnología, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Alimentario (IMIDA), La Alberca, Murcia, 30150, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pagán
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Murcia (UMU), Campus de Espinardo, Murcia, 30100, Spain.
authors.forename: Mercedes G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Montalbán
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Murcia (UMU), Campus de Espinardo, Murcia, 30100, Spain.
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Víllora
authors.affiliation: Departmento de Biotecnología, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Alimentario (IMIDA), La Alberca, Murcia, 30150, Spain.
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Cénis
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry*; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D065546:Drug Liberation; D005349:Fibroins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010851:Picrates / Q000737:chemistry; D011794:Quercetin / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D010851:Picrates; D005349:Fibroins; D011794:Quercetin; C004931:1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl
keywords: Antioxidant activity; Drug delivery; Nanoparticles; Polyphenols; Quercetin; Silk fibroin