Comparative enhancement of curcumin cytotoxic photodynamic activity by nanoliposomes and gold nanoparticles with pharmacological appraisal in HepG2 cancer cells and Erlich solid tumor model

Abstract

Curcumin is a natural pigment that generates singlet oxygen upon light excitation, hence it can be used as a photosensitizer in photodynamic therapy. The extremely low water solubility and poor systemic bioavailability make curcumin a challenging molecule to be used clinically. In this study, two nanocarrier systems for curcumin were prepared and characterized; nanoliposomes and polyvinyl pyrrolidone-capped gold nanoparticles. The dark and photocytotoxicity were investigated as a function of light fluence rate (100 and 200 mW/cm) on HepG2 cancer cells. In vivo Erlich tumor model was developed and comparison of the tumor volume, survival rate, and histopathological alterations was made for the two nanocarriers. Results showed that both curcumin nanocarriers were successfully prepared and characterized. Light irradiation was able to augment the cytotoxicity of both curcumin liposomes and gold nanoparticles, with the former being superior in cytotoxicity compared to the latter. The tumor size was almost diminished 1 month post-photodynamic treatment for both systems with regression in the number of tumor cells upon histopathological evaluation, with curcumin liposomes producing better tumor regression than gold nanoparticles with comparable survival rate. Liposomes were confirmed to be superior to gold nanoparticles as a photodynamic treatment modality for cancer.

<p>Curcumin-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers prepared using Peceol™ and olive oil in photodynamic therapy: development and application in breast cancer cell line</p>

“…Thus, the optimum formulae were tested for their cytotoxic effect on MCF-7 under both dark and photo conditions compared to CUR. The enhancement in cytotoxic activity following irradiation agreed with similar finding in the literature 4,20,42–44. That could be attributed to the photodynamic activation of CUR, as a Ps, with light of wavelength greater than 400 nm generating ROS and singlet oxygen specifically, which caused cellular damage and eventually induced apoptosis.…”

“…CUR release from NLCs was studied under sink conditions using dialysis membrane (molecular weight cutoff 12,000–14,000) presoaked overnight at room temperature in PBS (pH 7.4). Six milliliters of each formula were placed in a glass tube with one end tightly sealed with the dialysis membrane and then suspended in 30 mL of the buffered solution containing 20% ethanol (v/v) and 0.5% (v/v) Tween 80 20. The solution was continuously stirred at 400 RPM and the temperature was maintained at 37°C.…”

Polymeric nanocapsular baicalin: Chemometric optimization, physicochemical characterization and mechanistic anticancer approaches on breast cancer cell lines

“…In order to enhance its bioavailability and effectiveness in cancer treatment, baicalin was formulated in different nanoparticulate systems, such as liposomes 3,13 and solid lipid nanoparticles 2 . Nanoparticles are known to preferentially accumulate within tumors via the EPR effect 14,15 , and can be easily uptaken by the cells via endocytosis. In a recent study, gold nanoparticles were conjugated with baicalin and the conjugate induced a more prominent apoptosis in breast cancer cell line MCF-7 16 .…”

Synthesis and characterization of gold nanoparticles from Abies spectabilis extract and its anticancer activity on bladder cancer T24 cells

“…However, some reports suggest that the endocytosed AuNPs may cause cytotoxic effects which could be beneficial for the treatment of cancer [27]. Currently, an in vitro cytotoxic assay, AuNPs have been used in anticancer therapy for several types of cancers, including colon carcinoma HCT-116, HT-29 cell lines [28], hepatocellular carcinoma HepG-2 [29] and breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 [30]. In this study, the plant extract of A. spectabilis, a conifer species in the family of Pinaceae was used for the synthesis of AuNPs.…”