Beta-carotene is a carotenoid precursor of vitamin A, known for its biological activities. Due to its high hydrophobicity, nanonization processes, i.e. the transformation into nanoparticles, can improve its water affinity, and therefore the activity in aqueous systems. The objective of this study was to produce beta-carotene nanoparticles by the solid dispersion method and to evaluate their effects on the activity of glutathione-S-transferase and acetylcholinesterase enzymes using Drosophila melanogaster (DM) homogenate, the superoxide dismutase- and catalase-like activities under in vitro conditions, and their cytotoxic properties against tumor and non-tumor cells. The formed nanometric beta-carotene particles resulted in stable colloids, readily dispersed in water, able to modulate acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, and presenting high potential to control the cholinergic system. Beta-carotene nanoparticles, at concentrations much lower than the pure pristine beta-carotene, presented in vitro mimetic activity to superoxide dismutase and altered glutathione-S-transferase activity in DM tissue. The content of hydrogen peroxide was neither affected by the nanoparticles (in aqueous solution) nor by pristine beta-carotene (in DMSO). In the cytotoxic assays, beta-carotene nanoparticles dispersed in water showed activity against four different tumor cell lines. Overall, beta-carotene nanoparticles presented significant bioactivity in aqueous medium surpassing their high hydrophobicity constraint.

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β-胡萝卜素的纳米分散体：对抗氧化酶和细胞毒性的影响

β-胡萝卜素是维生素A的类胡萝卜素前体，以其生物活性而闻名。由于其高疏水性，纳米化过程（即转化为纳米颗粒）可以改善其水亲和力，从而改善其在水性体系中的活性。这项研究的目的是通过固体分散法生产β-胡萝卜素纳米颗粒，并使用果蝇（DM）匀浆，超氧化物歧化酶和过氧化氢酶样来评估它们对谷胱甘肽-S-转移酶和乙酰胆碱酯酶活性的影响。体外活动条件，以及它们对肿瘤和非肿瘤细胞的细胞毒性。形成的纳米级β-胡萝卜素纳米颗粒可产生稳定的胶体，易于分散在水中，能够调节乙酰胆碱酯酶（AChE）活性，并具有控制胆碱能系统的高潜力。β-胡萝卜素纳米颗粒的浓度远低于纯净的原始β-胡萝卜素，对超氧化物歧化酶和改变的谷胱甘肽S具有体外模拟活性DM组织中的-转移酶活性。过氧化氢的含量既不受纳米颗粒（在水溶液中）的影响，也不受原始β-胡萝卜素（在DMSO中）的影响。在细胞毒性测定中，分散在水中的β-胡萝卜素纳米粒子表现出对四种不同肿瘤细胞系的活性。总体而言，β-胡萝卜素纳米粒子在水性介质中表现出了显着的生物活性，超过了它们的高疏水性约束。