The inclusion into PLGA nanoparticles enables α-bisabolol to efficiently inhibit the human dendritic cell pro-inflammatory activity

α-bisabolol, a natural sesquiterpene alcohol, has generated considerable interest for its anti-inflammatory activity. Since the mechanisms of this anti-inflammatory action remain poorly understood, we investigated whether α-bisabolol affects the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-12, IL-23, IL-6, and TNFα by human dendritic cells (DCs). We found that α-bisabolol did not induce the secretion of these cytokines and did not affect their release induced upon DC challenge with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a well-known immune cell stimulator. As α-bisabolol is scarcely ingested by the cells, we wondered whether the inclusion of α-bisabolol into nanoparticles could favor its internalization by DCs and consequently its effects on cytokine secretion. We then prepared and characterized poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles, with a dynamic light scattering peak centered at 154 nm and a half width at half maximum of about 48 nm. These particles were unable to affect per se cytokine secretion by both resting and LPS-stimulated DCs and were internalized by human DCs as demonstrated by confocal microscopy analysis. We then loaded PLGA nanoparticles with α-bisabolol and we observed that PLGA-associated α-bisabolol did not stimulate the cytokine release by resting DCs, but decreased IL-12, IL-23, IL-6, and TNFα secretion by LPS-stimulated DCs. Our results indicate that α-bisabolol inclusion into PLGA nanoparticles represents a very promising tool for designing new anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic and, possibly, immunosuppressive therapeutic strategies.