earticle

영어

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a fat-soluble, vitamin-like substance found in the cells of many organisms. Primary role of CoQ10 is in the transfer of electrons from membrane-bound dehydrogenases to complex III of the electron transport chain. CoQ10 also acts as an antioxidant. It is used as a nutritional supplement and is beneficial in the treatment of human conditions, such as cardiomyopathy, diabetes, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, and can also reduce the risks of myopathy associated with the use of statin drugs. The use of CoQ10 is also gaining popularity in the cosmetic industry owing to its antioxidant properties. In spite of the versatility of CoQ10, the molecule's long side chain of 10 isoprenoid units make CoQ10 poorly water-soluble, limiting its bioavailability and more various applications. In the present study, a novel CoQ10 nanoparticle was assembled by encircling isoprenyl chains with human apolipoprotein A-I protein (apoA-I). This nanostructure of CoQ10 is quite reminiscent of nascent high density lipoprotein (HDL) particle composed of phospholipids and cholesterol. The diameter of the CoQ10 nanostructure was about 12 nm, which is less than 1/10~1/100 of liposome-based CoQ10 particles. Novel CoQ10 nanostructure will be versatile in pharmaceutics and functional cosmetics. We expect that the strategy suggested in this study can be exploited to assemble nano-sized, water-soluble structures of various water-insoluble drug candidates (i.g. Paclitaxel).