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Enhanced protection of biological membrane using flavonoid embedded nanoparticles

Flavonoids, polyphenolic biomolecules with antioxidative activity, have recently emerged as potential novel therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases. In addition to the fact that the mechanisms of their antioxidant effects have not yet been fully elucidated, their applicability is rendered by poor water solubility and chemical instability under physiological conditions encountered during pharmaceutical product consumption. Flavonoid incorporation in nanoparticles (NPs) as carriers has been proposed as possible solution to surpass these obstacles. The aim of the research is to overcome the problem of poor water solubility and chemical instability of flavonoids by delivering them loaded in biodegradable mesoporous NPs to model membranes and neurons whereby their protective effects should be enhanced. The incorporation of flavonoids from the subgroups of flavonols (quercetin, myricetin, and myricitrin), anthocyanins (cyanidin 3-0-glucopyranoside) and flavons (luteolin and apigenin) was investigated. Such choice of flavonoids will enable determination of a relationship between flavonoid structure and protective activity towards oxidative stress. All selected flavonoids contain planar moiety but differ in the degree of monosaccharide unit substitution. In addition, cyanidin 3-0-glucopyranoside is the only one bearing charge. One kind of biodegradable mesoporous NPs, Fe3O4 will be investigated as flavonoid nanocarriers due to their superior drug- loading and controlled release properties. Mesoporous NPs were selected with the goal to increase the flavonoid loading and entrapment efficiency, as compared to so far used organic or inorganic NPs, and to enable the protection of flavonoids in physiological conditions. This research will ultimately generate detailed knowledge about the effects of the size, shape, charge, hydrophobicity and applied a magnetic field of NPs with flavonoids and their release. Results from the studies proposed within research will pave the way towards the development of innovative and improved therapies for oxidative stress-associated neurological disorders. In addition, the knowledge obtained within this research could be extended to designing effective delivery systems for the incorporation, protection, and release of other unstable bioactive molecules with an aim to improve human health or to increase the shelf life of pharmaceutical or food products.

flavonoids ; magnetite nanoparticles ; membrane protection

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