Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 21, 2026
08:31
Porous Silicon Microparticles for Delivery of siRNA Therapeutics
Published on: January 15, 2015
11.1K
Resveratrol Encapsulation and Release from Pristine and Functionalized Mesoporous Silica Carriers
Simona Ioniţă1, Daniel Lincu1,2, Raul-Augustin Mitran2
1Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Material Science, University "Politehnica" of Bucharest, 1-7 Polizu Street, 011061 Bucharest, Romania.
Pharmaceutics
|January 21, 2022
Summary
Mesoporous silica carriers enhance the dissolution and bioavailability of resveratrol, a polyphenol with anticancer potential. Functionalized silica, particularly SBA-15 with thiol or isocyanate groups, showed significant cytotoxic effects against lung and breast cancer cells.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Resveratrol is a polyphenol with antioxidant, cardioprotective, and anticancer properties.
- Low aqueous solubility of resveratrol limits its bioavailability and therapeutic applications.
- Mesoporous silica materials offer a promising platform for drug delivery systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To encapsulate resveratrol within various mesoporous silica matrices to enhance its dissolution rate and bioavailability.
- To investigate the effect of functionalized SBA-15 silica on resveratrol loading and release.
- To evaluate the in vitro cytotoxic effects of resveratrol-loaded mesoporous silica against cancer cell lines.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis and characterization of pristine mesoporous silica (MCM-41, MCM-48, SBA-15, SBA-16, FDU-12, MCF).
- Functionalization of SBA-15 with aminopropyl, isocyanate, phenyl, mercaptopropyl, and propionic acid groups.
- Encapsulation of resveratrol and assessment of loading and release profiles.
- In vitro cytotoxicity assays against A549 (lung) and MDA-MB-231 (breast) cancer cells, and HSF (fibroblast) cells.
- Apoptosis and cell cycle analysis for selected resveratrol-loaded carriers.
Main Results:
- All mesoporous silica carriers, pristine and functionalized, increased resveratrol's dissolution rate.
- Resveratrol was encapsulated within the mesopores, primarily in an amorphous state.
- Resveratrol-loaded SBA-15 functionalized with mercaptopropyl (Resv@SBA-15-SH) and isocyanate (Resv@SBA-15-NCO) groups demonstrated potent anticancer activity.
- Resv@SBA-15-SH and Resv@SBA-15-NCO showed significant IC50 values against A549 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines, indicating enhanced efficacy.
Conclusions:
- Mesoporous silica carriers effectively improve resveratrol's dissolution rate and bioavailability.
- Functionalized SBA-15 silica, particularly with thiol and isocyanate groups, enhances the anticancer potential of resveratrol.
- These findings highlight the potential of engineered mesoporous silica for developing novel cancer therapeutics.
