Self-Assembled Keratin Nanoparticles Prepared by Partial Hydrolysis and Their Restructuring Response to pH Shifting for Biomolecule Encapsulation

IF 5.5 2区化学 Q1 BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

Biomacromolecules Pub Date : 2025-07-14 DOI:10.1021/acs.biomac.4c01773

Xiaojie Qin , Yi Zhang , Changyan Zhang , Yujie Guo , Johannes H. Bitter , Chunhui Zhang , Elinor L. Scott

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Abstract

Keratin, an abundant biopolymer in animal byproducts, holds promise as a biomolecule delivery carrier due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and low toxicity. However, its intrinsic stability from disulfide bonds limits broader application. Here, we present a strategy to convert waste feather keratin into keratin nanoparticles (KNPs) via partial hydrolysis and pH shifting. At 5% degree of hydrolysis (DH), keratin self-assembled into spherical KNPs with reduced size (∼123 nm) and enhanced solubility (94.5%). These KNPs displayed pH-triggered structural transitions (open state at pH 2.0 → closed at pH 7.0) and high loading efficiency (>93%) for insulin and resveratrol, offering partial protection against gastrointestinal enzymatic degradation and low cytotoxicity. In contrast, higher DH (≥10%) increased β-sheet content and hydrophobic exposure, promoting KNP aggregation and lowering their pH responsiveness and biomolecule encapsulation. Our findings demonstrate the potential of 5% DH KNPs as nanocarriers, providing a sustainable approach for nutrient and pharmaceutical applications.

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部分水解制备自组装角蛋白纳米颗粒及其对pH变化的重组响应。

角蛋白是一种丰富的生物聚合物，存在于动物副产品中，由于其生物相容性、可生物降解性和低毒性，角蛋白有望成为一种生物分子传递载体。然而，其二硫键固有的稳定性限制了其更广泛的应用。在这里，我们提出了一种通过部分水解和pH转移将废羽毛角蛋白转化为角蛋白纳米颗粒（KNPs）的策略。在5%水解度（DH）下，角蛋白自组装成球形KNPs，尺寸减小（约123 nm），溶解度提高（94.5%）。这些KNPs表现出pH触发的结构转变（pH 2.0时处于开放状态→pH 7.0时处于关闭状态）和胰岛素和白藜芦醇的高负载效率（>93%），对胃肠道酶降解和低细胞毒性提供部分保护。相反，较高的DH（≥10%）增加了β-sheet含量和疏水暴露，促进了KNP聚集，降低了它们的pH响应性和生物分子包封性。我们的研究结果证明了5% DH KNPs作为纳米载体的潜力，为营养和药物应用提供了可持续的方法。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Biomacromolecules 化学-高分子科学

CiteScore

10.60

自引率

4.80%

发文量

417

审稿时长

1.6 months

期刊介绍： Biomacromolecules is a leading forum for the dissemination of cutting-edge research at the interface of polymer science and biology. Submissions to Biomacromolecules should contain strong elements of innovation in terms of macromolecular design, synthesis and characterization, or in the application of polymer materials to biology and medicine. Topics covered by Biomacromolecules include, but are not exclusively limited to: sustainable polymers, polymers based on natural and renewable resources, degradable polymers, polymer conjugates, polymeric drugs, polymers in biocatalysis, biomacromolecular assembly, biomimetic polymers, polymer-biomineral hybrids, biomimetic-polymer processing, polymer recycling, bioactive polymer surfaces, original polymer design for biomedical applications such as immunotherapy, drug delivery, gene delivery, antimicrobial applications, diagnostic imaging and biosensing, polymers in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, polymeric scaffolds and hydrogels for cell culture and delivery.