Mesoporous nanocarriers for the loading and stabilization of 5-aminolevulinic acid

Abstract: Mesoporous nanoparticles bearing different surface functionalizations were proposed as host carrier for the loading and stabilization of 5-aminolevulinic acid: unmodified mesoporous silica nanoparticles exposing native silanols and aminopropyltriethoxysilane-grafted mesoporous silica nanoparticles exposing amino groups. The stability of 5-aminolevulinic acid at different steps of drug loading was monitored via electronic and vibrational spectroscopies. Unmodified mesoporous nanoparticles were found to be a host system ensuring the stability of 5-aminolevulinic acid and its availability as protoporphyrin IX precursor, whilst silica surface exposing amino groups was found to strongly favour the dimerization of 5-aminolevulinic acid, leading to the formation of the derived compound pyrazine-2,5-dipropionic acid which is considered to be the major ALA degradation product in aerated solutions, which is no longer active as precursor of protoporphyrin IX. This phenomenon is interpreted in terms of the basic character of amino-modified silica. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]