Hydrophilic Silver Nanoparticles Loaded into Niosomes: Physical-Chemical Characterization in View of Biological Applications

Federica Rinaldi; Elena Del Favero; Johannes Moeller; Patrizia Nadia Hanieh; Daniele Passeri; Marco Rossi; Livia Angeloni; Iole Venditti; Carlotta Marianecci; Maria Carafa; Ilaria Fratoddi

doi:10.3390/nano9081177

Hydrophilic Silver Nanoparticles Loaded into Niosomes: Physical-Chemical Characterization in View of Biological Applications

Nanomaterials (Basel). 2019 Aug 17;9(8):1177. doi: 10.3390/nano9081177.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (ITT), 00161 Rome, Italy.
² Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan, 20122 Milano, Italy.
³ ESRF Grenoble Fr, 38043 Grenoble, France.
⁴ Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy.
⁵ Department of Basic and Applied Sciences for Engineering, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy.
⁶ Department of Sciences, Roma Tre University, 00146 Rome, Italy. iole.venditti@uniroma3.it.
⁷ Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy. carlotta.marianecci@uniroma1.it.
⁸ Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy.

Abstract

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used as antibacterial agents and anticancer drugs, but often their low stability limits their mass production and broad applications. The use of niosomes as a carrier to protect and envelop AgNPs gives a new perspective to solve these problems. In this study, AgNPs were functionalized with sodium 3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonate (3MPS) to induce hydrophilic behavior, improving loading in Tween 20 and Span 20 niosomes (NioTw20 and NioSp20, respectively). Entrapment efficiency was evaluated by UV analyses and is around 1-4%. Dimensions were investigated by means of dynamic light scattering (DLS) (<2R_H> = 140 ± 4 nm and <2R_H> = 251 ± 1 nm respectively for NioTw20 + AgNPs and NioSp20 + AgNPs) and were compared with those by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and small angle X ray scattering (SAXS) analyses. Stability was assessed in water up to 90 days, and both in bovine serum and human serum for up to 8 h. In order to characterize the local structure of niosomes, SAXS measurements have been performed on Tween 20 and Span 20 empty niosomes and loaded with AgNPs. The release profiles of hydrophilic probe calcein and lipophilic probe Nile Red were performed in HEPES buffer and in human serum. All these features contribute to conclude that the two systems, NioTw20 + AgNPs and NioSp20 + AgNPs, are suitable and promising in the field of biological applications.

Keywords: drug delivery; liposomes; nanocarriers; niosomes; plasmonic materials; silver nanoparticles.