Fabrication, Characterization and Therapeutic Evaluation of Fluoxetine‐Dextran Nanoparticles

Abstract

In recent times conventional dosage forms face a number of challenges, i. e., adverse effects, low absorption of drugs, and delivery at the targeted sites for desired therapeutic effect. In the current study, dextran-fluoxetine nanoconjugates were prepared, characterized, and evaluated for therapeutic efficacy. Dextran was oxidized via aldehyde functional group subsequently conjugated with fluoxetine using Schiff based reaction. Characterization techniques like ultra-violet spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and circular dichroism spectroscopy confirmed successful drug-polymer conjugation. Nanoconjugates size and shape was assessed using dynamic light scattering and atomic force microscopy respectively, whereas thermo-gravimetric analysis revealed the stability. Drug loading was found 21 %, whereas the drug release for 48 h showed 28 % release at pH = 5 and 16 % at pH = 7.4. Anticancer activity of the nanoparticles was assessed using HeLa cell lines and revealed 99.5 % cellular inhibition whereas cytotoxic assay was done using healthy cell line 3T3 showing 14.6 % cell inhibition. This study showed controlled release of drugs from the nanoparticles in the simulated conditions and has potential to reduce associated adverse effects. It is hypothesized that these nanoparticles may find application in anticancer drugs-controlled release with reduced toxicities.

Beyond Psychotropic: Repurposing of Fluoxetine Toward Cancer Management and Its Molecular Mechanisms

“…Indeed, only FLX showed higher toxicity to normal mouse embryo fibroblast cells 3T3 than FLX-dextran nanoparticles. However, the later showed similar anticancer effect on HeLa cells at 30 µM concentration [87].…”

“…Naz et al, developed FLX-dextran nanoparticles conjugates for better efficacy of FLX. Dextran was oxidized by sodium iodate to form the corresponding aldehyde which was readily reacted with FLX forming a Schiff base [87,88]. FLX-dextran nanoparticles were stable at physiological blood circulation and normal tissues with remarkable higher release in acidic environment, i. e., pH 5 which resulted in high specificity toward cancer cells and reduced systemic undesirable effects.…”

Beyond Psychotropic: Potential Repurposing of Fluoxetine toward Cancer Therapy

“…Naz et al developed FLX–dextran nanoparticles conjugates for better efficacy of FLX. Dextran was oxidized by sodium iodate to form the corresponding aldehyde, which was readily reacted with FLX, forming a Schiff base [ 91 , 92 ]. FLX–dextran nanoparticles were stable at physiological blood circulation and normal tissues with remarkably higher release in an acidic environment, i.e., pH 5, which resulted in high specificity toward cancer cells and reduced systemic undesirable effects.…”

“…Indeed, only FLX showed higher toxicity to normal mouse embryo fibroblast cells 3T3 than FLX–dextran nanoparticles. However, the latter showed a similar anticancer effect on HeLa cells by completely inhibiting cellular growth at 30 µM concentration [ 91 ].…”