IN VITRO CYTOTOXICITY EFFECT ON MCF-7 CELL LINE OF CO-ENCAPSULATED ARTESUNATE AND CURCUMIN LIPOSOME

Abstract

Objective: Cancer drug delivery has focused using novel carrier system due to their high drug loading and release controlled property and minimum side effect. Artesunate (ART) and curcumin (CUR) are proved natural herbal lead chemotherapeutics used as Chinese and Indian food. But due to its low absorption and the poor bioavailability limits its clinical efficacy. The object of the present work was to investigate the cytotoxic vs apoptotic effect of these herbal lead molecules in the co-encapsulated liposome formulation.Methods: ART and CUR liposome were prepared by thin film hydration method. Because of their opposite solubility nature, ART loaded in the aqueous phase at pH 7.4 while CUR is present in the central core through lipophilic interaction. In vitro cytotoxicity action of the free and liposomal formulation was performed by MTT assay.Results: Physiochemical parameters were evaluated and compared to the co-encapsulated formulation of containing both molecules. The mean diameter around 200 nm, low polydispersity index and co-encapsulation efficiency were found to be 90%. Co-encapsulation in nanometer size is beneficial for uptake and photo-stability of a drug. The in vitro cytotoxic effect of the co-encapsulated formulation was shown a better result than individual drug and also gives the clue for apoptosis. IC50 value for ART, CUR and Liposome was found to be 297.61 µg/ml and 60.60 µg/ml respectively. The result explained the co-encapsulation of curcumin with artesunate is show an ameliorative effect for repositioning therapeutic efficacy of the drug.Conclusion: We observed that human breast cancer MCF-7 cells were relatively resistant to ART and sensitive to CUR. Treatment with ART plus CUR had a synergistic cytotoxic, and apoptotic effect was mediated by up regulation of DR4 and DR5 m RNA expression.