Design of Quercetin-Loaded Natural Oil-Based Nanostructured Lipid Carriers for the Treatment of Bacterial Skin Infections

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Switzerland), 2022-12, Vol.27 (24), p.8818
• Main Authors: de Barros, Dragana P C, Santos, Rafaela, Reed, Patricia, Fonseca, Luís P, Oliva, Abel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Infective Agents - pharmacology; Antibacterial activity; Antibacterial agents; Antimicrobial activity; Antimicrobial agents; Bacteria; Bacterial infections; Bioactive compounds; Bioavailability; Biocompatibility; Bioflavonoids; Biological activity; Care and treatment; Cytotoxicity; Dermatologic agents; Dermatology; Drug Carriers - chemistry; Drug delivery; Drug delivery systems; Efficiency; Encapsulation; Fatty acids; Flavones; Flavonoids; Formulae, receipts, prescriptions; Gram-positive bacteria; Health aspects; Infection; Infections; Lipids; Lipids - chemistry; Nanoparticles; Nanostructures - chemistry; natural plant oils; NLCs; Oils; Olive oil; Particle Size; Permeability; Polyphenols; Quercetin; Quercetin - pharmacology; Skin; stability; Staphylococcus infections; Structural stability; Transdermal medication
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules27248818

The biological activity of natural plant-oil-based nanostructured lipid carriers (NPO-NLCs) can be enhanced by the encapsulation of bioactive compounds, and they in turn can improve topical delivery of the drugs. Quercetin (QR), a vital plant flavonoid, expresses antibacterial properties, and we recently showed that empty NPO-NLCs also have antimicrobial activity. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the synergetic effect of loading natural plant-oil-based nanostructured lipid carriers with quercetin (QR-NPO-NLCs) as a topical delivery system for the treatment of bacterial skin infections. Five nanostructured lipid carrier systems containing different oils (sunflower, olive, corn, coconut, and castor) were engineered. The particles’ stability, structural properties, bioavailability, and antimicrobial activity were studied. NLCs with an average size of 99%). The encapsulation of QR decreased cytotoxicity and increased the antioxidant effect of nanocarriers. An increase in antibacterial activity of the systems containing QR was demonstrated against Staphylococcus aureus. QR-NPO-NLCs could transport QR to an intranuclear location within HaCaT cells, indicating that QR-NPO-NLCs are promising candidates for controlled topical drug delivery.