Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) has gained appreciable attention because of its health benefits. However, the poor permeability across the intestine limits its use. In this study, we have fabricated chitosan-coated EGCG-hordein nanoparticles (Cs-EHNs), with the aim to enhance the intestinal permeability of EGCG. Cs-EHNs were fabricated by layer-by-layer electrostatic stacking method, and its uptake and transcellular permeability were studied in the Caco-2/HT29 co-culture model. The constructed Cs-EHNs had the average diameter of 296 nm, polymer dispersity index (PDI) of 0.30, zeta potential of 59.6 mV, and showed a spherical morphology. Encapsulation efficiency of EGCG was 87.3%. The transcellular permeability experiments indicated that the apparent permeability coefficient (Papp) of Cs-EHNs was higher than that of free EGCG. Furthermore, the cellular uptake of Cs-EHNs was studied by specific endocytosis inhibitors, and results showed that the uptake mechanisms of Cs-EHNs were through caveolae-mediated endocytosis and macropinocytosis. This study demonstrated that encapsulation of EGCG using chitosan-coated hordein nanoparticles could be a promising approach to improve the absorption of EGCG.
Keywords: Epigallocatechin-3-gallate; Transcellular transport; Uptake mechanism.
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