PNExo™ Exosome-Cucumber(PNE-VC04)

Benefits of Cucumber

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) is a hydrating plant rich in bioactive constituents that have been widely studied for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and enzyme-inhibitory activities. The following key compounds contribute to its documented physiological effects:

• Flavonoids (e.g. quercetin): Scavenge free radicals and reduce oxidative stress. Modulate inflammation and glucose regulation by inhibiting α-amylase and α-glucosidase.
• Cucurbitacins: A group of triterpenoids known for their ability to induce cell cycle arrest, promote apoptosis, and suppress cancer cell migration and invasion in in vitro studies, contributing to interest in their role in anticancer research.
• Phenolic compounds: Predominantly present in the peel and whole fruit, these compounds exhibit strong antioxidant activity, with reported DPPH scavenging rates of 20.18%, supporting skin barrier function and cellular protection.
• Vitamin C: Enhances antioxidant defenses and works synergistically with polyphenols to slow oxidative damage and support skin health, including collagen maintenance and anti-aging effects.
• Enzyme inhibitors (e.g. from butanol extracts): Strongly inhibit hyaluronidase, elastase, collagenase, and tyrosinase, enzymes implicated in skin aging processes such as dehydration, loss of elasticity, wrinkle formation, and pigmentation. Hyaluronidase inhibition reached 88.59% in experimental assays.

What Are Cucumber-Derived Exosomes?

Cucumber exosomes are tiny, lipid-enclosed structures naturally secreted by cucumber cells. Similar to their mammalian counterparts, they're typically 100-200 nm in diameter and carry a diverse cargo of proteins, lipids, and small metabolites.

These vesicles can be isolated from cucumber juice using standard exosome purification methods like differential centrifugation. Characterization confirms their stable properties: a negative surface charge, uniform shape, and protein-rich membranes.

Unlike synthetic carriers, cucumber exosomes come from edible plants, making them naturally biocompatible. They can be internalized by mammalian cells and are explored in research for intercellular communication and as natural nanocarriers. Beyond their structural role, they can encapsulate plant compounds, offering dual benefits of delivery and intrinsic bioactivity.

Characterization of cucumber sarcocarp-derived nanovesicles (CsDNVs) and cucumber pericarp-derived nanovesicles (CpDNVs) isolated under varying centrifugal forces. (A-B) TEM images of CsDNVs isolated at 100,000 × g for 60 and 30 min. (C-D) TEM images of CpDNVs isolated at the same conditions. (E-F) Particle size distributions of CsDNVs and CpDNVs at different centrifugation speeds. (G-H) TEM images of CsDNVs and CpDNVs isolated at 30,000 × g for 30 min. Scale bars: 200 nm. (Chen T, et al., 2022)

Cucumber-Derived Exosome Advantages

• High biocompatibility: Naturally sourced from edible plant tissue, cucumber exosomes exhibit low immunogenicity and minimal cytotoxicity in mammalian systems.
• Scalable and eco-friendly production: Easily obtained through juicing and centrifugation without complex processing or harmful solvents, enabling cost-effective and sustainable large-scale isolation.
• Intrinsic bioactivity: Naturally enriched with phytochemicals such as cucurbitacins, which may contribute to antioxidative and cell-regulating effects in experimental studies.
• Structural and physicochemical stability: Maintain integrity under storage and physiological conditions, with negative zeta potential contributing to colloidal stability.
• Efficient cellular uptake: Readily internalized by mammalian cells in a time-dependent manner, supporting their utility as delivery vectors.

Potential Applications of Cucumber Exosomes

Boosting Dermal Delivery Systems

Cucumber-derived exosomes are currently explored for their remarkable ability to enhance the delivery of active compounds across the skin. Their tiny size and natural lipid makeup help substances penetrate the dermal layers more effectively. This makes them promising, biocompatible carriers for topical applications in dermatological and cosmetic research, particularly for achieving more targeted and localized delivery.

Natural Nanocarriers for Bioactive Compound Transport

These exosomes stand out as efficient natural nanocarriers, adept at encapsulating and transporting a wide range of bioactive molecules. Their innate capacity to be taken up by mammalian cells makes them invaluable tools for targeted delivery research. Researchers are actively exploring their use for precise delivery of specific plant-derived compounds to cellular targets, aiming to potentially boost their bioavailability and effectiveness in experimental settings.

Influencing Cellular Pathways and Immune Responses

Beyond their function as delivery vehicles, cucumber exosomes also show promise for their inherent biological activities. Studies indicate their ability to influence fundamental cellular processes, such as modulating inflammatory pathways, reducing oxidative stress, and affecting cell growth or programmed cell death in various in vitro and in vivo models. These findings underscore their value in scientific inquiries into cellular regulation and immune system interactions.

References

1. Abraham A M, Wiemann S, Ambreen G, et al. Cucumber-derived exosome-like vesicles and plantcrystals for improved dermal drug delivery. Pharmaceutics. 2022, 14(3): 476.
2. Chen T, Ma B, Lu S, et al. Cucumber-derived nanovesicles containing cucurbitacin B for non-small cell lung cancer therapy. International Journal of Nanomedicine. 2022, 17: 3583.
3. Wang Y, Wei Y, Liao H, et al. Plant exosome-like nanoparticles as biological shuttles for transdermal drug delivery. Bioengineering. 2023, 10(1): 104.
4. Wang L, Liu Z, Du X, et al. Construction and evaluation of transdermal delivery system of terbinafine-loaded plant exosomes for the treatment of cutaneous fungal infections. Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology. 2024, 102: 106365.
5. Che K, Wang C, Chen H. Advancing functional foods: A systematic analysis of plant-derived exosome-like nanoparticles and their health-promoting properties. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2025, 12: 1544746.

Case Study 1: Cucurbitacin B-Loaded Cucumber-Derived Nanovesicles for NSCLC Therapy (Chen T, 2022)

This study highlights cucurbitacin B (CuB)-loaded cucumber-derived nanovesicles (CuB-CDNVs) as a promising non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) therapy, leveraging CDNVs' inherent low toxicity and biocompatibility. In vitro, CuB-CDNVs potently inhibited NSCLC cell proliferation by enhancing CuB uptake, inducing apoptosis, and modulating key pathways like STAT3. In vivo, CuB-CDNVs reduced tumor volume by approximately 65% in A549 xenografts without significant toxicity. These findings support CuB-CDNVs as a safe and effective natural nanocarrier for NSCLC, improving therapeutic outcomes.

Figure 1. In vitro anticancer activity of cucumber sarcocarp-derived nanovesicles (CsDNVs) and cucumber pericarp-derived nanovesicles (CpDNVs). (A) Confocal microscopy showing uptake of DiO-labeled CsDNVs by A549 cells; nuclei (Hoechst), membranes (DiI), and nanovesicles (DiO) are visualized. Scale bar: 25 μm. (B) Quantification of CsDNV uptake over time. (C) MTT assay assessing cytotoxicity of CuB, CsDNVs, and CpDNVs. (D) Flow cytometry analysis of apoptosis in A549 cells treated with free CuB, CsDNVs, or CpDNVs. (E) Apoptosis rate comparison among treatment groups.

Figure 2. In vivo anticancer effects of CsDNVs in a nude mouse tumor model. (A) Treatment schedule of CsDNVs and CuB in nude mice. (B) Tumor volume monitored over time following intravenous administration of PBS, CuB, or CsDNVs. (C) Body weight changes during treatment. (D) Final tumor weight after 14 days of treatment. (E) Representative images of tumors collected from each treatment group. (F) H&E staining of tumor tissues from PBS, CuB, and CsDNVs groups. Scale bar: 100 μm.

Case Study 2: Cucumber-Derived Nanocarriers for Dermal Drug Delivery (Abraham A M, 2022)

Natural cucumber-derived exosome-like vesicles (CDELVs) and plant crystals show promise as biocompatible and biodegradable carriers for enhancing dermal drug delivery in topical formulations. Ex vivo studies using pig ear skin revealed that CDELVs significantly increased permeation of a hydrophilic dye into deeper skin layers, improving its delivery to the epidermis and demonstrating enhanced skin barrier penetration. Cucumber plant crystals (calcium oxalate) also modulated skin permeability. These results suggest that CDELVs and plant crystals are effective, naturally-derived platforms for advanced dermal drug delivery, facilitating deeper and more efficient penetration of active pharmaceutical ingredients.

Figure 1. Evaluation of DiI dermal penetration via different cucumber-derived formulations. (A) Representative inverted epifluorescence microscopy images showing DiI distribution in skin sections. All images were acquired under identical imaging conditions (200× magnification, 50 ms exposure, scale bar = 50 µm). (B) Quantitative analysis of penetration metrics, including relative stratum corneum thickness (R-SCT), relative penetrated amount (R-APA), and mean penetration depth (R-MPD). Results indicate enhanced dermal delivery with PEVs, especially when DiI was preloaded before high-pressure homogenization (HPH). Data support the role of cucumber-derived PEVs as effective nanocarriers for topical drug delivery.

References

1. Chen T, Ma B, Lu S, et al. Cucumber-derived nanovesicles containing cucurbitacin B for non-small cell lung cancer therapy. International Journal of Nanomedicine. 2022, 17: 3583.
2. Abraham A M, Wiemann S, Ambreen G, et al. Cucumber-derived exosome-like vesicles and plantcrystals for improved dermal drug delivery. Pharmaceutics. 2022, 14(3): 476.

• What is the difference between cucumber exosomes and cucumber extract?

  Cucumber exosomes are tiny vesicles that carry active compounds within a lipid membrane, offering stability and targeted delivery. In contrast, cucumber extract is a simple solution of soluble components without vesicle structure or delivery function.

• Are cucumber-derived exosomes suitable for use in cell-based studies?

  Yes. Cucumber exosomes are biocompatible and have been shown to be efficiently taken up by various mammalian cells, including dermal and cancer cell lines. They are particularly useful in exploring natural compound delivery, antioxidant pathways, and cell-vesicle interactions in vitro.

• How are cucumber exosomes different from synthetic liposomes or nanoparticles?

  Unlike synthetic carriers, cucumber exosomes are naturally occurring, plant-derived vesicles with intrinsic biological content. They possess lower cytotoxicity, require no chemical surfactants, and may carry native plant bioactives such as cucurbitacin B, which synthetic vesicles do not contain unless externally loaded.

• Can PNExo™ Exosome-Cucumber be used in homemade skincare or food products?

  No. This product is intended strictly for laboratory research or professional manufacturing purposes. It is not approved for personal use in DIY cosmetics or edible formulations. Any misuse falls outside the scope of our product compliance responsibility.

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