Issue 24, 2008

Solubilisation and cytotoxicity of albendazole encapsulated in cucurbit[n]uril

Abstract

The aqueous solubilities of albendazole encapsulated in cucurbit[6, 7 and 8]urils (Q[6], Q[7] and Q[8]) have been determined by 1H NMR spectroscopy, and the effect of encapsulation on their cytotoxicities evaluated. Encapsulation in Q[6] and Q[7] increased the aqueous solubility of albendazole by 2 000-fold, from 3 µM to 6 mM at pH 6.6, while Q[8]-encapsulation increased the solubility to over 2 mM. Encapsulation in Q[7] and Q[8] induced significant upfield shifts for the albendazole propyl and benzimidazole resonances, compared to those observed for Q[6]-binding and what would normally be expected for the respective functional groups. The upfield shifts indicate that the albendazole propyl and benzimidazole protons are located within the Q[7] and Q[8] cavity upon encapsulation. Alternatively, encapsulation in Q[6] only induced a large upfield shift for the albendazole carbamate methyl resonance, indicating that the drug associates with Q[6] at its portals, with only the carbamate group within the cavity. Simple molecular models based on the observed relative changes in chemical shift could be constructed that were consistent with the conclusions from the NMR experiments. Cytotoxicity assays against human colorectal cells (HT-29), human ovarian cancer cells (1A9) and the human T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia cells (CEM) indicated that encapsulation in Q[7] did not significantly reduce the in vitro anti-cancer activity of albendazole.

Graphical abstract: Solubilisation and cytotoxicity of albendazole encapsulated in cucurbit[n]uril

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
07 Aug 2008
Accepted
13 Oct 2008
First published
06 Nov 2008

Org. Biomol. Chem., 2008,6, 4509-4515

Solubilisation and cytotoxicity of albendazole encapsulated in cucurbit[n]uril

Y. Zhao, D. P. Buck, D. L. Morris, M. H. Pourgholami, A. I. Day and J. G. Collins, Org. Biomol. Chem., 2008, 6, 4509 DOI: 10.1039/B813759E

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