{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,18]],"date-time":"2026-01-18T01:40:04Z","timestamp":1768700404810,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,2,24]],"date-time":"2022-02-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1645660800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e Tecnologia","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["UIDB\/00511\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/00511\/2020"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pharmaceutics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are inorganic and biocompatible nanovehicles capable of conjugating biomolecules to enhance their efficacy in cancer treatment. The high and reactive surface area provides good advantages for conjugating active compounds. Two approaches were developed in this work to improve the Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) antioxidant efficacy. AuNPs were synthesized by reducing gold salt with chitosan. One other nanosystem was developed by functionalizing AuNPs with cysteamine using the Turkevitch method. The physico-chemical characterization of EGCG conjugated in the two nanosystems-based gold nanoparticles was achieved. The in vitro toxic effect induced by the nanoconjugates was evaluated in pancreatic cancer cells, showing that encapsulated EGCG keeps its antioxidant activity and decreasing the BxPC3 cell growth. A significant cell growth inhibition was observed in 50% with EGCG concentrations in the range of 2.2 and 3.7 \u03bcM in EGCG-ChAuNPs and EGCG-Cyst-AuNPs nanoconjugates, respectively. The EGCG alone had to be present at 23 \u03bcM to induce the same cytotoxicity response. Caspase-3 activity assay demonstrated that the conjugation of EGCG induces an enhancement of BxPC3 apoptosis compared with EGCG alone. In conclusion, AuNPs complexes can be used as delivery carriers to increase EGCG antioxidant activity in cancer tissues.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pharmaceutics14030491","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,2,24]],"date-time":"2022-02-24T21:11:07Z","timestamp":1645737067000},"page":"491","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":25,"title":["Nanocarriers Based on Gold Nanoparticles for Epigallocatechin Gallate Delivery in Cancer Cells"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"L\u00eddia","family":"Cunha","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"LEPABE\u2014Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"ALiCE\u2014Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9985-3358","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"S\u00edlvia Castro","family":"Coelho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"LEPABE\u2014Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"ALiCE\u2014Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8505-3432","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria do Carmo","family":"Pereira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"LEPABE\u2014Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"ALiCE\u2014Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Manuel A. N.","family":"Coelho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"LEPABE\u2014Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"ALiCE\u2014Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,2,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"221","DOI":"10.3389\/fbioe.2021.647905","article-title":"Gold Nanoparticles in Cancer Theranostics","volume":"9","author":"Gao","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Coelho, S.C., Reis, D.P., Pereira, M.C., and Coelho, M.A.N. (2018). Gold Nanoparticles for Targeting Varlitinib to Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells. 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