Title:Synthesis of Silymarin-Gold Nanoparticle Conjugate and Analysis of its Liver-Protecting Activity
Volume: 22
Issue: 15
Author(s): Sergey Staroverov, Sergey Kozlov, Alexander Fomin, Konstantin Gabalov, Alexey Volkov, Ivan Domnitsky, Lev Dykman and Olga Guliy*
Affiliation:
- Saratov State Agrarian University, Saratov,Russian Federation
Keywords:
Silymarin, colloidal gold nanoparticles, synthesis, liver-protecting activity, experimental hepatitis, hepatocytes.
Abstract:
Background: The liver disease problem prompts investigators to search for new methods
of liver treatment.
Introduction: Silymarin (Sil) protects the liver by reducing the concentration of free radicals and the
extent of damage to the cell membranes. A particularly interesting method to increase the bioavailability
of Sil is to use synthesized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as reagents. The study considered whether it
was possible to use the silymarin-AuNP conjugate as a potential liver-protecting drug.
Methods: AuNPs were conjugated to Sil and the liver-protecting activity of the conjugate was examined.
Experimental hepatitis and hepatocyte cytolysis after carbon tetrachloride action were used
as a model system, and the experiments were conducted with laboratory animals.
Results: For the first time, silymarin was conjugated to colloidal gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Electron
microscopy showed that the resultant preparations were monodisperse and that the mean conjugate
diameter was 18-30 nm ± 0.5 nm (mean diameter of the native nanoparticles, 15 ± 0.5 nm). In
experimental hepatitis in mice, conjugate administration interfered with glutathione depletion in
hepatocytes in response to carbon tetrachloride. It also was conducive to an increase in energy metabolism
and stimulated the monocyte-macrophage function of the liver. The results were confirmed
by the high respiratory activity of the hepatocytes in cell culture.
Conclusion: We conclude that the silymarin-AuNP conjugate holds promise as a liver-protecting
agent in acute liver disease caused by carbon tetrachloride poisoning.
