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Stimuli‐Sensitive Self‐Assembled Tubules Based on Lysine‐Derived Surfactants for Delivery of Antimicrobial Proteins
Author(s) -
Oliveira Isabel S.,
Machado Rui L.,
Araújo Maria J.,
Gomes Andreia C.,
Marques Eduardo F.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.202003320
Subject(s) - amphiphile , self healing hydrogels , pulmonary surfactant , nanocarriers , biocompatibility , micelle , lysozyme , biophysics , chemical engineering , drug delivery , materials science , lysine , chemistry , nanotechnology , polymer , organic chemistry , polymer chemistry , amino acid , copolymer , biochemistry , aqueous solution , engineering , biology
Drug delivery vectors based on amphiphiles have important features such as versatile physicochemical properties and stimuli‐responsiveness. Amino acid‐based surfactants are especially promising amphiphiles due to their enhanced biocompatibility compared to conventional surfactants. They can self‐organize into micelles, vesicles and complex hierarchical structures, such as fibers, twisted and coiled ribbons, and tubules. In this work, we investigated the self‐assembly and drug loading properties of a family of novel anionic double‐tailed lysine‐derived surfactants, with variable degree of tail length mismatch, designated as m Lys10 and 10Lys n , where m and n are the number of carbon atoms in the tails. These surfactants form tubular aggregates with assorted morphologies in water that undergo gelation due to dense entanglement, as evidenced by light and electron microscopy. Lysozyme (LZM), an enzyme with antimicrobial properties, was selected as model protein for loading. After the characterization of the interfacial properties and phase behavior of the amphiphiles, the LZM‐loading ability of the tubules was investigated, under varying experimental conditions, to assess the efficiency of the aggregates as pH‐ and temperature‐sensitive nanocarriers. Further, the toxicological profile of the surfactants per se and surfactant/LZM hydrogels was obtained, using human skin fibroblasts (BJ‐5ta cell line). Overall, the results show that the tubule‐based hydrogels exhibit very interesting properties for the transport and controlled release of molecules of therapeutic interest.