Bioengineered Porous Silicon Nanoparticles@Macrophages Cell Membrane as Composite Platforms for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Biohybrid nanosystems are at the center of personalized medicine, affording prolonged circulation time and targeting to the disease site, and serving as antigenic sources of vaccines. The optimization and functionality parameters of these nanosystems vary depending on the properties of the core particles. In this work, the effects of the core particles’ surface charge and hydrophobicity are evaluated on the nanosystem coating with vesicles derived from plasma membrane. The measured parameters are the dimensions, surface charge, shape, and stability of the biohybrid nanosystems, both in buffer and in biologically relevant media (plasma and simulated synovial fluid). Moreover, the cytocompatibility properties of the developed nanosystems are evaluated in different cell lines mimicking the target cell populations and other districts of the body involved in the distribution and elimination of the nanoparticles. Finally, the immunological profile of the particles is investigated, highlighting the absence of immune activation promoted by the nanoplatforms.Peer reviewe

Impact of Pore Size and Surface Chemistry of Porous Silicon Particles and Structure of Phospholipids on Their Interactions

By exploiting its porous structure and high loading capacity, porous silicon (PSi) is a promising biomaterial to fabricate protocells and biomimetic reactors. Here, we have evaluated the impact of physicochemical properties of PSi particles [thermally oxidized PSi, TOPSi; annealed TOPSi, AnnTOPSi; (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane functionalized thermally carbonized PSi, APTES-TCPSi; and thermally hydrocarbonized PSi, THCPSi] on their surface interactions with different phospholipids. All of the four phospholipids were similarly adsorbed by the surface of PSi particles, except for TOPSi. Among four PSi particles, TOPSi with hydrophilic surface and smaller pore size showed the weakest adsorption toward phosphatidylcholines. By increasing the pore size from roughly 12.5 to 18.0 nm (TOPSi vs AnnTOPSi), the quantity of phosphatidylcholines adsorbed by TOPSi was enhanced to the same level of hydrophilic APTES-TCPSi and hydrophobic THCPSi. The 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) exhibited the highest release ratio of phospholipids from all four PSi particles, and phosphatidylserine (DPPS) showed the lowest release ratio of phospholipids from PSi particles, except for TOPSi, which adsorbed less phospholipids due to the small pore size. There is consistency in the release extent of phospholipids from PSi particles and the isosteric heat of adsorption. Overall, our study demonstrates the importance of pore size and surface chemistry of PSi particles as well as the structure of phospholipids on their interactions. The obtained information can be employed to guide the selection of PSi particles and phospholipids to fabricate highly ordered structures, for example, protocells, or biomimetic reactors

Impact of storage on sensory quality of blackcurrant juices prepared with or without enzymatic treatment at industrial scale

Blackcurrant juices prepared with or without enzyme treatment at industrial scale were stored at room temperature or + 4 °C for 1 year, and their sensory profles, chemical composition and rheological properties were investigated. The juice without enzyme treatment had less intense colour and it was perceived and measured as more viscose than the juice produced with enzyme assistance. Content of monomeric anthocyanins decreased signifcantly during storage in both juice types under both storing conditions. However, changes in colour intensity were observed only in the non-enzymatic juices. In the discrimination tests based on the appearance, the stored samples were detected as signifcantly diferent. Storage resulted in signifcant changes in contents of hydroxycinnamic acids and favonols, but this did not have an impact on the bitterness or astringency of the juices. Moreover, sugar and acid contents were mainly unchanged during storage. Storage resulted in a decrease in dynamic viscosity and greater diferences in viscoelastic properties for the juice with enzymatic assistance. This study provides important information about the stability of juices typically stored at room temperature for a long time