Oral absorption-promoting of Panax notoginseng saponins-loaded Nanoparticles modified with Thiolated trimethyl chitosan and Wheat germ agglutinin

Abstract

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) oral preparations is the main means of disease treatment in TCM clinically, but the bioavailability of TCM active ingredients such as panax noteginseng saponins (PNS) is low due to its poor intestinal absorption. In this study, PNS nanoparticle modified with thiolated trimethyl chitosan (TMC-Cys) and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) (PP-WT NPs) was prepared to promote the oral absorption of PNS effectively. In vitro studies demonstrated that PP-WT NPs delayed the release of PNS and had strong anti-enzyme activities against acids and digestive enzymes in the gastrointestinal environment. And it has good cell uptake and transport capacity in the Caco-2/HT29 co-cultured cell model. In vivo animal experiments showed that PP-WT NPs could penetrate the mucus layer barrier, and the effective permeability coefficients for R1, Rg1, and Rb1 in the small intestine were 1.68, 1.64, and 1.63 times than that of free PNS, respectively. It was predicted that panax notoginseng saponins-loaded nanoparticles modified with thiolated trimethyl chitosan and wheat germ agglutinin provide an attractive strategy for improving the oral absorption of PNS.