Production of apoferritin/chitosan complex by Maillard reaction as a promising platform to enhance pDNA delivery.

Ferritin is a shell-like carrier protein with an 8 nm diameter cavity that naturally provides a space for encapsulating food and drug components. In the absence of iron atoms bound to this protein, it is called apoferritin, the form used in this study. However, its vulnerability to environmental conditions when used alone warrants further investigation. A promising approach involves glycation reactions, which integrate the beneficial properties of proteins and polysaccharides to fine-tune the physicochemical traits of proteins and enhance their functionality. In this context, the binding of apoferritin by chitosan can be obtained through the Maillard reaction that involves covalent bonding, specifically between the carbonyl group of a reducing sugar and the amino group of an amino acid or protein. This reaction enables the formation of apoferritin-chitosan complexes with physicochemical and functional properties favorable for encapsulation, structural conformation and absorption of bioactive compounds. So, the aim of this study was the development of nanoparticles based on apoferritin and chitosan complex, obtained by Maillard reaction, as a strategy to improve the pharmacotechnical characteristics of this system to carry DNA construct that expresses EGFRvIII, for further evaluation and use in the melanoma treatment. The Maillard reaction resulted in an improved macroscopic visual aspect of the system, greater stability over storage time and also enhanced physicochemical characteristics such as particle size and zeta potential, showing that there was indeed an effective reaction between chitosan and apoferritin. The obtained results provided a positive scenario for the use of the apoferritin combined with chitosan as a plasmid DNA delivery system.