Pectin-Lysozyme-Based Nanoparticles for Targeted Delivery of Anthocyanins and Evaluation of Effects on Gut Microbiota in Colorectal Cancer-Induced Mice

• Grant number: 24/20034-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Science
• Principal Investigator: Joao Paulo Fabi
• Grantee: Isadora Capella de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/07914-8 - FoRC - Food Research Center, AP.CEPID

Abstract

Anthocyanins are bioactive compounds that stand out for their ability to alter the intestinal microbiota, leading to beneficial systemic effects. Despite this, the therapeutic use of anthocyanins is quite limited due to their high molecular instability, intense degradation throughout the gastrointestinal tract, and limited reach to the distal portions of the intestine, especially of the integral molecules. In this sense, nanoencapsulation based on polysaccharides-proteins has already been shown in previous studies to be an efficient tool to stabilize anthocyanins, protect them from human digestion factors, increase absorption, and enable targeted delivery. Recent data on bioavailability in animals confirmed that nanostructures can gradually release in the intestine, improve absorption, and prolong the retention time of anthocyanins in the body. Therefore, the present project is expected to evaluate the in vivo effects of nanoencapsulated anthocyanins in pectin and lysozyme-based structures on the composition of the intestinal microbiota in mice and the effects on the development of colorectal cancer. For this purpose, animals chemically induced to develop colorectal cancer will be treated with nanoencapsulated anthocyanins and compared with animals treated with non-encapsulated molecules. Fecal material will be collected at the beginning, middle, and end of the period and analyzed to identify the microbiota. The aim is to observe the bacterial composition and associate it with the different stages of cancer development, identify the potential suppressive activity of the nanoformulation in colorectal carcinogenesis, and correlate it with the role of the intestinal microbiota. The results may direct therapies applied to colorectal cancer and promote the development of dietary supplements.