C60 fullerene as an effective nanoplatform of alkaloid berberine delivery into leukemic cells

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Anna Grebinyk - , Technical University of Applied Sciences Wildau, University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Svitlana Prylutska - , Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University (Author)
  • Anatoliy Buchelnikov - , Sevastopol State University (Author)
  • Nina Tverdokhleb - , Chair of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Sevastopol State University (Author)
  • Sergii Grebinyk - , Technical University of Applied Sciences Wildau (Author)
  • Maxim Evstigneev - , Sevastopol State University, Belgorod State University (Author)
  • Olga Matyshevska - , NASU - Palladin Institute of Biochemistry (Author)
  • Vsevolod Cherepanov - , NASU - Institute of Physics (Author)
  • Yuriy Prylutskyy - , Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University (Author)
  • Valeriy Yashchuk - , Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University (Author)
  • Anton Naumovets - , NASU - Institute of Physics (Author)
  • Uwe Ritter - , Ilmenau University of Technology (Author)
  • Thomas Dandekar - , University of Würzburg (Author)
  • Marcus Frohme - , Technical University of Applied Sciences Wildau (Author)

Abstract

A herbal alkaloid Berberine (Ber), used for centuries in Ayurvedic, Chinese, Middle-Eastern, and native American folk medicines, is nowadays proved to function as a safe anticancer agent. Yet, its poor water solubility, stability, and bioavailability hinder clinical application. In this study, we have explored a nanosized carbon nanoparticle—C60 fullerene (C60)—for optimized Ber delivery into leukemic cells. Water dispersions of noncovalent C60-Ber nanocomplexes in the 1:2, 1:1, and 2:1 molar ratios were prepared. UV–Vis spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) evidenced a complexation of the Ber cation with the negatively charged C60 molecule. The computer simulation showed that π-stacking dominates in Ber and C60 binding in an aqueous solution. Complexation with C60 was found to promote Ber intracellular uptake. By increasing C60 concentration, the C60-Ber nanocomplexes exhibited higher antiproliferative potential towards CCRF-CEM cells, in accordance with the following order: free Ber < 1:2 < 1:1 < 2:1 (the most toxic). The activation of caspase 3/7 and accumulation in the sub-G1 phase of CCRF-CEM cells treated with C60-Ber nanocomplexes evidenced apoptosis induction. Thus, this study indicates that the fast and easy noncovalent complexation of alkaloid Ber with C60 improved its in vitro efficiency against cancer cells.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number586
JournalPharmaceutics
Volume11
Issue number11
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2019
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0002-2335-0260/work/142246485

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goals

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • Apoptosis, Berberine, C fullerene, Cytotoxicity, DLS and AFM measurements, Drug release, Leukemic cells, Noncovalent nanocomplex, Uptake, UV, Vis