Search

Herein we report curcumin entrapped nanoparticles of PLGA–PEG copolymer which were conjugated with folic acid (PPF copolymer) for site specific targeting since many cancer cells exhibit external folic acid binding receptors. The PPF copolymer was synthesised by two steps using DCC/NHS chemistry and characterized by FT-IR and 1H-NMR techniques. The curcumin was encapsulated in PPF by single emulsion-solvent evaporation method. The nanoparticles were characterised by TEM and DLS for their size and morphology. The thermal properties were assessed by DSC data. In vitro release kinetics measurements of the drug from the nanoparticles showed a controlled release pattern over a period of time. The MTT assay depicted a high amount of cytotoxicity of PPF nanocurcumin in HeLa cells. Cellular uptake studies demonstrated the efficacy of surface engineering with folate over free nanoparticles. Furthermore, the biological evaluations, for example AO/EB staining, DAPI staining, and clonogenic assay of the nanoparticles confirm the efficacy and mechanism by which the cytotoxicity was induced.

Industrial research in the field of dry powder inhalation (DPI) technology is still confined to the micronization of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Earlier studies have identified triboelectric charge as the main reason for the reduced efficiency of most of the marketed formulations. The physical instability of the micronized product aggravates the situation. Direct conversion of an API into an inhalable dry crystal, without applying an attritional force, would be a solution for many issues such as loss of crystallinity or metal contamination of the final product. In this work, Isoniazid (INH) (an anti-TB drug) was converted to inhalable particles using cryo-crystallization under a partial anti-solvent environment. The crystals were dried using a lyophilization technique and furthermore, the powder was characterized. PXRD studies showed that a new polymorph was evolved by the proposed technique. Since lyophilization is a closed method, microbial contamination can also be avoided through this method. Accelerated stability studies at 40 °C with 75% relative humidity indicated that the newly formed crystals had similar stability to that of the raw material (the API).

Correction for ‘Curcumin entrapped folic acid conjugated PLGA–PEG nanoparticles exhibit enhanced anticancer activity by site specific delivery’ by Jisha J. Pillai et al., RSC Adv., 2015, 5, 25518–25524.

In the present study, we report a phenylalanine (Phe)-containing self-assembling peptide nanofibrous material (RATEA-F8) for the delivery of the drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and leucovorin (LV), which exhibit synergistic actions against colon cancer. Solid phase peptide synthesis, followed by morphological characterisation of the material, depicts a facile formation of nanofiber in a time-dependent manner. Structural analysis and physical characterisation of the material were performed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), circular dichriosm, spectrofluorimetry and oscillatory rheology. The in vitro release was also studied for 5-FU, LV and a model molecule namely Phe. The facile cellular uptake (monitored using confocal microscopy) and significant amount of cytotoxicity displayed by the drug entrapped peptide nano material further confirms the efficacy of the developed system for the drug delivery purpose.