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Mild Oxidation of Plant Polyphenols Yields Modular Nanoparticle-Forming Materials with Drug Loading Capabilities
Suhair Sunoqrot1, Samah Abusulieh1, Ilya Anufriev2,3
1Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, AL-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, Amman, 11733, Jordan.
Macromolecular Bioscience
|March 25, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed novel nanoparticles from oxidized plant polyphenols, quercetin (QCT) and tannic acid (TA). These functionalized nanoparticles show promise for efficient hydrophobic drug delivery systems.
Area of Science:
- Green Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Plant polyphenols offer unique chemical properties for developing functional materials.
- Oxidation of polyphenols can alter their characteristics for material formulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To formulate nanoparticles (NPs) from oxidized quercetin (oxQCT) and tannic acid (oxTA).
- To investigate the impact of polymers on NP characteristics.
- To evaluate the potential of these NPs for hydrophobic drug delivery.
Main Methods:
- Partial oxidation of quercetin and tannic acid.
- Nanoprecipitation for NP formulation, with and without polymers.
- Characterization using dynamic light scattering (DLS), analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
- Drug loading efficiency assessment with amphotericin B and curcumin.
Main Results:
- Oxidized polyphenols (oxQCT, oxTA) exhibited enhanced thermal stability.
- NP formulation with polymers influenced particle size, polydispersity, and morphology.
- Sub-200 nm nanoparticles were successfully formulated with high loading efficiencies for hydrophobic drugs.
Conclusions:
- Oxidized plant polyphenols are viable precursors for functional nanoparticles.
- Polymer co-formulation allows tuning of NP properties.
- These novel NPs demonstrate significant potential for advanced drug delivery applications.
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