The alleviation of lipid deposition in steatosis hepatocytes by capsaicin-loaded α-lactalbumin nanomicelles via promoted endocytosis and synergetic multiple signaling pathways
Congcong Zuo, Huijuan Zhang, Shuang Liang, Wendi Teng, Cheng Bao, Dan Li, Yuling Hu, Qimeng Wang, Zekun Li, Yuan Li
Abstract
A capsaicin delivery system was developed by self-assembling of α-lactalbumin polypeptides into nanomicelles. The capsaicin was loaded into the α-lactalbumin micelles via hydrophobic interaction with an embedding amount of 126.58 mg/g. Steatotic HepG2 cells were treated with the capsaicin-loaded nanomicelles and the anti-lipogenesis effect of the cells was significantly improved. The endocytosis rate of capsaicin was improved by nanomicelles. Moreover, the nanomicelles could escape from lysosomes and overcome P-glycoprotein efflux pump effect, which prevented the capsaicin being pumped out of cells. Furthermore, the capsaicin-loaded nanomicelles showed a deep penetration and anti-lipogenesis effect on steatotic HepG2 spheroid model. Western blotting results suggested that the capsaicin-loaded nanomicelles remarkably inhibited lipogenesis, promoted lipid hydrolysis and macro-autophagy compared with free capsaicin. The present study suggested that the α-lactalbumin nanocarriers exhibited a considerable potential in delivery of hydrophobic bioactive ingredients into cells effectively and maximized their bioactivities in functional foods.