Research articles
ScienceAsia 52 (2026): 1-11 |doi:
10.2306/scienceasia1513-1874.2026.076
A pH-sensitive nanoparticle delivering Lonicera edulis
anthocyanins for combined anti-hepatoma and
immunomodulatory therapy
Siqi Liu?, Shan Li?, Bohan Zhang, Yanlong Zhang, Xiangqian Jia*, Dandan Zhao*
ABSTRACT: Blue honeysuckle (Lonicera edulis L.) represents an emerging source of berries with significant biological
activity. Nevertheless, the practical application of its anthocyanins in the food and medical sectors is constrained
by their limited stability. This study focuses on anthocyanins extracted and purified from the pomace of L. edulis
harvested in the Boli region of Heilongjiang Province, China. These anthocyanins served as the core material, while
carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS), L-histidine (L-His), and stearic acid (SA) were employed as carrier materials. A pH
sensitive micellar system, designated as CMCS-His-SA nanoparticles (NPs), was developed using the film dispersion
technique and optimization of the preparation conditions. This pH-triggered size expansion (111.8 nm?570.9 nm,
pH 7.4?6.5) enables selective drug release within acidic tumors. This study investigates the structural properties of
CMCS-His-SA NPs at the material level. At the cellular level, HepG2 cells and RAW264.7 macrophages were utilized
as model systems to evaluate the anti-hepatocarcinoma and immunomodulatory activities.
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Engineering Research Center of Agricultural Microbiology Technology, Ministry of Education & Heilongjiang Provincial
Key Laboratory of Ecological Restoration and Resource Utilization for Cold Region & Key Laboratory of Microbiology,
College of Heilongjiang Province & School of Life Sciences, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080 China |
* Corresponding author, E-mail: 2021108@hlju.edu.cn, 2004090@hlju.edu.cn
Received 15 Apr 2026, Accepted 15 Jul 2026
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