Bioactive electrospun fish sarcoplasmic proteins as a drug delivery system

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Protein Engineering
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Fish sarcoplasmic proteins (FSP) offer a sustainable source for biomaterial development.
• Electrospinning is a versatile technique for creating nano- to micro-scale fibers.
• DPP-IV inhibitors are crucial in managing type 2 diabetes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and characterize nano-microfibers from cod (Gadus morhua) sarcoplasmic proteins (FSP) via electrospinning.
• To investigate the enzymatic degradation of FSP fibers and identify potential bioactive products.
• To evaluate the feasibility of FSP fibers as a delivery system for a model dipeptide (Ala-Trp).

Main Methods:

• Electrospinning of FSP at varying concentrations.
• Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for fiber morphology analysis.
• Enzymatic degradation assays and analysis of degradation products.
• Dipeptide encapsulation and in vitro release studies in simulated gastric and intestinal buffers.

Main Results:

• Fiber morphology was concentration-dependent, producing insoluble nano-microfibers.
• FSP fibers degraded upon exposure to proteolytic enzymes.
• Degradation products exhibited inhibitory activity against the diabetes-related enzyme DPP-IV.
• Encapsulated dipeptide (Ala-Trp) showed a biphasic release profile: 30% burst release, followed by 40% release within 15-30 minutes.

Conclusions:

• Cod FSP can be electrospun into stable nano-microfibers with potential biomedical applications.
• FSP fibers and their degradation products possess DPP-IV inhibitory properties, suggesting therapeutic potential for diabetes.
• FSP fibers demonstrate controlled release characteristics, validating their use as a delivery system.