title: Apoferritin nanocage as streptomycin drug reservoir: Technological optimization of a new drug delivery system.
abstract: The aim of this study is to formulate and characterize streptomycin-loaded apoferritin nanoparticles (ApoStrep NPs) for their potential therapeutic use in bacterial resistant infections (i.e. tuberculosis). ApoStrep NPs were prepared by disassembly/reassembly process via pH method and changing apoferritin/drug molar ratio, purified by dialyses process also associated with gel filtration chromatography and characterized in their chemico-physical and technological parameters as yield, size distribution, polidispersivity, morphology, internal structure, zeta potential and loading efficacy. The results showed that spherical reproducible NPs could be obtained by using apoferritin/drug molar ratio lower than 1:25 and purification based on the combination of dialysis and gel filtration chromatography. Photon correlation spectroscopy, Uv-visible detection and electron microscopy showed the maintenance of the native apoferritin chemico-physical properties and structure. When formulated with apoferritin/drug 1:10 and 1:25 molar ratio, ApoStrep NPs showed remarkable encapsulation efficacy (35% and 28%, respectively) along with kinetic profile of drug delivery, approximately 15% at 37 °C in 72h, as evidenced by "in vitro" release experiments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Via Campi 103, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41124 Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ruozi
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Via Campi 103, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41124 Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Veratti
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Via Campi 103, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41124 Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Vandelli
authors.affiliation: CIGS, Centro Interdipartimentale Grandi Strumenti, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tombesi
authors.affiliation: CIGS, Centro Interdipartimentale Grandi Strumenti, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tonelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Via Campi 103, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41124 Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Forni
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Via Campi 103, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41124 Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pederzoli
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Via Campi 103, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41124 Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Belletti
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Via Campi 103, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41124 Modena, Italy. Electronic address: gtosi@unimore.it.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tosi
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D001052:Apoferritins / Q000737:chemistry*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D065546:Drug Liberation; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013307:Streptomycin / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001052:Apoferritins; D013307:Streptomycin
keywords: Apoferritin; Encapsulation efficiency; Nanocage; Purification process