Research Information System
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES, vol.24, pp.9327-9349, 2023 (SCI-Expanded)
Abstract: The present study proposes a method for designing small bioactive nanoparticles using
silk fibroin as a carrier to deliver hydrophobic polyphenols. Quercetin and trans-resveratrol, widely
distributed in vegetables and plants, are used here as model compounds with hydrophobic properties.
Silk fibroin nanoparticles were prepared by desolvation method and using various concentrations of
ethanol solutions. The optimization of the nanoparticle formation was achieved by applying Central
Composite Design (CCD) and the response surface methodology (RSM). The effects of silk fibroin
and ethanol solution concentrations together with the pH on the selective encapsulation of phenolic
compounds from a mixture were reported. The obtained results showed that nanoparticles with an
average particle size of 40 to 105 nm can be prepared. The optimized system for the selective encapsulation of the polyphenols on the silk fibroin substrate was determined to be 60% ethanol solution and
1 mg/mL silk fibroin concentration at neutral pH. The selective encapsulation of the polyphenols
was achieved, with the best results being obtained in the case of resveratrol and quercetin and
encapsulation of gallic and vanillic acids being rather poor. Thin-layer chromatography confirmed
the selective encapsulation and the loaded silk fibroin nanoparticles exhibited antioxidant activity.