EFFECTS OF SQUALANE ON THE SPERMINE-BASED CATIONIC NIOSOMES FOR GENE DELIVERY

Authors

  • Supusson Pengnam Faculty of Pharmacy, Silpakorn University, Sanamchandra Palace Campus, Nakhon Pathom
  • Prasopchai Tonglairoum Faculty of Pharmacy, Silpakorn University, Sanamchandra Palace Campus, Nakhon Pathom
  • Nattisa Ni-yomtham Faculty of Science, Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok
  • Boon-ek Yingyongnarongkul Faculty of Science, Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok
  • Praneet Opanasopit Faculty of Pharmacy, Silpakorn University, Sanamchandra Palace Campus, Nakhon Pathom
  • Samarwadee Plianwong Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Burapha University, Chonburi

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14456/tbps.2018.12

Keywords:

gene delivery, cationic niosomes, lipid nanoparticles, squalane, helper lipids

Abstract

Gene therapy is a delivery of a defined therapeutic gene into specific cells of a patient to replace a defective gene. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have been widely used as a carrier to improve the delivery efficiency. Of the LNPs delivery systems, niosomes which are formulated from non-ionic surfactants are generally cheaper and potentially more stable than liposomes which are formulated from phospholipids. However, it still has a storage stability problem. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the effect of a helper lipid, namely squalane (Sq), on the physical stability, particle size, zeta potential, transfection efficiency and cytotoxicity of cationic niosomes. The cationic niosomes were composed of Span 20, cholesterol and spermine-based cationic lipid at a fixed molar ratio of 2.5:2.5:1, while the molar ratio of Sq was varied from 0.25 to 1. The zeta potential and the particle size of niosomes and niosome/DNA complexes were characterized. The results showed that the addition of Sq to the spermine-based niosomes reduced the particle size of the niosomes from 162.3 to 119.5 nm and increased the physical stability after kept at 4 °C for at least 4 weeks. In vitro transfection efficiency tested in HeLa cell revealed that niosome containing Sq at molar ratio of 1 (Sq1) exhibited comparable transfection efficiency to the niosome without Sq; however, lower amount of the Sq1 niosomes was required to form the complexes with DNA. None of the niosome formulations were toxic to cells at the niosome to DNA weight ratio which gave the highest transfection efficiency. These findings suggested that Sq may be used as a potential helper lipid in cationic niosomes for gene delivery.

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Published

2018-06-27

Issue

Vol. 13 No. 2 (2018): JULY - DECEMBER 2018

Section

Original Research Articles

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