A multifunctional CeO2@SiO2-PEG nanoparticle carrier for delivery of food derived proanthocyanidin and curcumin as effective antioxidant, neuroprotective and anticancer agent

The nanoparticle systems could effectively overcome the drug delivery challenges of food bioactive compounds. In this study, a novel and effective multifunctional PEG modified CeO2@SiO2 nanoparticle (CSP-NPs) system was successfully fabricated. Food derived proanthocyanidin (PAC) and curcumin (Cur) were loaded onto CSP-NPs and formed as PAC-NPs and Cur-NPs. Fourier transform Infrared spectra, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and dynamic light scattering were used to characterize the prepared NPs. CSP-NPs, PAC-NPs and Cur-NPs displayed spherical shape with about 35–45 nm size. The bioactivity analysis revealed that CSP-NPs system could effectively deliver PAC and Cur to exhibit strong antioxidant activity, potent neuroprotective effect against Aβ1-42-mediated toxicity in PC-12 cells (recovered cell viability from 57.5% to 81.0% at the dose of 25 μg/mL) and effective antiproliferative effects on HepG2 and Hela cells. Besides, all prepared nanoparticles (0–100 µg/ml) used in this study showed no significant toxicity on cell models of antioxidative and neuroprotective activities, excepting for cancer cells, suggesting that these nanoparticles had the potential of being utilized in drug delivery. Therefore, CSP-NPs might be a promising delivery system for hydrophilic molecule proanthocyanidin and hydrophobic molecule curcumin against the oxidative damage, neurodegenerative diseases and cancer, which could facilitate the application of food derived nutrients in functional foods industry.