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Updated: Jul 4, 2025

Facile Preparation of Internally Self-assembled Lipid Particles Stabilized by Carbon Nanotubes
Published on: February 19, 2016
Structural changes of layer-by-layer self-assembled starch-based nanocapsules in the gastrointestinal tract:
Lei Xie1, Yiping Zhang1, Ling Chen1
1Ministry of Education Engineering Research Center of Starch and Protein Processing, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Green Processing of Natural Products and Product Safety, School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China.
Abstract:
Characterizing the structural changes of cell-targeting delivery carriers in gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is crucial for understanding their effectiveness in cell targeting and transport. Herein, RGD peptide-grafted carboxymethyl starch (CMS) and cationic quaternary ammonium starch (QAS) were utilized to fabricate quintet-layered nanocapsules loaded with ovalbumin (OVA). The aim was to improve delivery and transportation efficiency, specifically targeting M cells. The research analyzed the impact of pH and enzyme variations in GIT on the structure of nanocapsules, interactions between carriers and the release behavior of OVA. Results showed that the size of nanocapsules increased from 229.2 to 479.8 nm and the zeta potential decreased from -1.08 to -33.33 mV during oral delivery. This was evident in TEM images, showing a more relaxed core-shell structure. Isothermal titration calorimetry and molecular dynamic simulation indicated that pH changes primarily affected the electrostatic interaction between carriers. Increasing pH led to reduced affinity constants, and around 84.42 % of OVA was successfully delivered to M cells. Moreover, the transport efficiency of nanocapsules to M cells was five times greater than that of Caco-2 cells. This suggests the feasibility of developing a nanocapsules delivery system capable of adapting to pH changes in GIT by regulating electrostatic interactions between carriers.
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