ß-carotene-loaded nanoparticles protect against neuromotor damage, oxidative stress, and dopamine deficits in a model of Parkinson's disease in Drosophila melanogaster.

ß-carotene-loaded nanoparticles improves absorption by increasing bioavailability. The Drosophila melanogaster model of Parkinson's disease must be helpful in investigating potential neuroprotective effects. Four groups of four-day-old flies were exposed to: (1) control; (2) diet containing rotenone (500 µM); (3) ß-carotene-loaded nanoparticles (20 µM); (4) ß-carotene-loaded nanoparticles and rotenone for 7 days. Then, the percentage of survival, geotaxis tests, open field, aversive phototaxis and food consumption were evaluated. At the end of the behaviors, the analyses of the levels of reactive species (ROS), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was carried out, as well as an evaluation of the levels of dopamine and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, in the head of flies. Nanoparticles loaded with ß-carotene were able to improve motor function, memory, survival and also restored the oxidative stress indicators (CAT, SOD, ROS and TBARS), dopamine levels, AChE activity after exposure to rotenone. Overall, nanoparticles loaded with ß-carotene showed significant neuroprotective effect against damage induced by the Parkinson-like disease model, emerging as a possible treatment. Overall, ß-carotene-loaded nanoparticles presented significant neuroprotective effect against damage induced by model of Parkinson-like disease, emerging as a possible treatment.

Biopreservatives against foodborne bacteria: combined effect of nisin and nanoncapsulated curcumin and co-encapsulation of nisin and curcumin.

Nisin, a bacteriocin widely used in the food industry, and curcumin, the yellow pigment extracted from turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) stand out among the numerous natural preservatives that have antimicrobial activity. The conversion of these compounds into nanoparticles could be interesting as an alternative to improve technological aspects (such as the low water solubility of curcumin) and to evaluate how synergism could take place in the case of co-encapsulation. The main objective of the present work was to evaluate the combination of nisin (Nis) with nanoencapsulated curcumin (NCur, nanoencapsulated to promote water solubility), as well as the co-encapsulated curcumin and nisin (NCurNis), against the foodborne bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium. Minimum inhibitory concentration and the minimum bactericidal concentration were evaluated for NCur and Nis, as well as their combination with the fractional inhibitory concentration assay. High effectiveness was found against S. aureus and the combination of both compounds resulted in Nis- nisin; synergism against the same microorganism. The co-encapsulation of curcumin and nisin was carried out based on the synergism tests and the characterization analyses demonstrated that a solid dispersion of the components in the PVP matrix was formed. The inhibitory effect of the curcumin and nisin co-encapsulate was improved when compared to the curcumin nanoparticles or nisin alone. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-022-05641-8.

Exposure to lutein-loaded nanoparticles attenuates Parkinson's model-induced damage in Drosophila melanogaster: Restoration of dopaminergic and cholinergic system and oxidative stress indicators.

Parkinson's is a neurodegenerative disease, characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons, cholinergic alterations and oxidative damages. Lutein is widely known by its antioxidants properties. In the present study, we investigated whether lutein-loaded nanoparticles protects against locomotor damage and neurotoxicity induced by Parkinson's disease model in Drosophila melanogaster, as well as possible mechanisms of action. First, the nanoparticles were characterized by physicochemical methods, demonstrating that water affinity was improved by the encapsulation of lutein into the polymeric encapsulant matrix. The fruit flies of 1-4 days old were divided into four groups and exposed to a standard diet (control), a diet containing either rotenone (500 µM), lutein-loaded nanoparticles (6 µM) or rotenone (500 µM) and lutein-loaded nanoparticles (6 µM) for 7 days. The survival percentage was assessed, the flies were submitted to negative geotaxis, open field tasks and the determination of dopamine levels, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and acetylcholinesterase activities and oxidative stress indicators (superoxide dismutase, catalase, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and glutathione S-transferase) were carried out. The exposure to lutein-loaded nanoparticles protected against locomotor damage and the decrease survival rate induced by rotenone, besides, it restored the dopamine levels, TH and acetylcholinesterase activities and oxidative stress indicators. These results provide evidence that lutein-loaded nanoparticles are an alternative treatment for rotenone-induced damage, and suggest the involvement of dopaminergic and cholinergic system and oxidative stress.