Construction and Characterization of Phthalocyanine-Loaded Particles of Curdlan and Their Photosensitivity

Abstract

To optimize the physicochemical properties of phthalocyanine (PC), we examined its behavior in particles of triple helix glucan curdlan (CUR). CUR was denatured and renatured in DMSO, in the presence of PC. Infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that PC and CUR formed an inclusion complex, in which PC was trapped inside CUR molecules. This redshifted the absorption peak of PC, which would improve its usefulness as a photosensitizer, because infrared light can penetrate more deeply into human tissues. The conductivity of the solution of CUR-PC was higher than the conductivities of either a CUR solution or a PC dispersion, indicating that CUR-PC is more water soluble than PC. In addition, CUR-PC was highly stable in water. Thus, the use of CUR as a carrier of PC improves several of its physical properties. PC is used as a photosensitizer for killing cancer cells, but its use is hampered by its low solubility. Further, its absorption range limits its use to a depth of 1–3 mm in tissues. CUR-PC, with its high solubility and infrared absorption peak, was highly effective as a photosensitizer. It killed 84% of HeLa cells under 15 min of long wavelength radiation and had little cytotoxicity in the absence of light. These results demonstrate that CUR-PC has promise as a photosensitizer, as well as provide theoretical support for a wide range of applications for PC and CUR.

The Physical Chemistry and Chemical Physics (PCCP) Section of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences in Its Publications: The First 300 Thematic Articles in the First 3 Years

“…The third of the directions officially accepted in the PCCP Section, is represented by only 11 articles [ 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 ], including 9 Originals and 2 Reviews. Their distribution by years of publication is presented in Table 4 .…”

“…The rest of the publications of this section are completely dissimilar from each other in thematic respect, and it is very difficult (if not possible at all) to find something in common between them (except that they can all be attributed to the field of electrochemistry). Nevertheless, it is worth noting an interesting work [ 48 ], in which, to optimize the physicochemical properties of phthalocyanine (PC), its behavior in particles of the triple helix of glucan curdlan (CUR), in which PC is retained inside CUR molecules, was studied. The electrical conductivity of the CUR–PC solution was found to be higher than the conductivity of the CUR solution or PC dispersion, indicating that CUR–PC is more soluble in water than PC; in addition, CUR–PC has proven to be very stable in aquatic environments.…”

“…In this Thematic Area, 56 articles have been published [ 48 , 64 , 104 , 108 , 110 , 124 , 195 , 252 , 253 , 254 , 255 , 256 , 257 , 258 , 259 , 260 , 261 , 262 , 263 , 264 , 265 , 266 , 267 , 268 , 269 , 270 , 271 , 272 , 273 , 274 , 275 , 276 , 277 , 278 , 279 , 280 , 281 , 282 , 283 , 284 , 285 , 286 , 287 , 288 , 289 , 290 , 291 , 292 , 293 , 294 , 295 , 296 , 297 , 298 , 299 , 300 ], an...…”

“…A more detailed examination shows that, in this direction, as well as in the previous ones, articles in which the objects of research are organic materials clearly prevail over articles in which the objects of research are inorganic materials (36 and 20, respectively). Wherein, the overwhelming majority of articles of the “organic” profile are, in one way or another, connected with the participation of the objects with a biological origin; these include [ 64 , 124 , 254 , 255 , 256 , 257 , 258 , 259 , 260 , 261 , 262 , 263 , 274 , 277 , 278 , 282 , 284 , 289 , 291 , 292 , 293 , 294 , 295 , 296 , 298 , 299 , 300 ] and the processes in abiogenic organic materials were considered only in [ 48 , 195 , 266 , 271 , 272 , 273 , 283 , 288 , 290 ]. The thematic focus of these works, as well as the chemical compounds studied in them, is also very diverse, and even a simple listing of them here is clearly beyond the scope of this article, too.…”

Applications of Photoinduced Phenomena in Supramolecularly Arranged Phthalocyanine Derivatives: A Perspective

“…In the same frame of biopolymers supramolecular assemblies for Pcs delivery in PDT applications, curdlan (CUR) based nanoparticles were even proposed with interesting results [160]. CUR ( Figure 29) is a β-(d)-glucan polymer able to spontaneously assemble in aqueous media into right-handed triple helices (t-CUR) [161].…”