Saif Alia, Omer Muhammad Ovais, Sattar Adeel, Tipu Yasin, Alharbi Hanan M, Saher Uzma, Awan Tanzeela
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore 54000, Pakistan.
Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore 54000, Pakistan.
ACS Omega. 2024 Jun 24;9(26):28186-28193. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.4c01489. eCollection 2024 Jul 2.
Curcumin from turmeric () has traditionally been used due to its pharmacological properties, such as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, cholesterol-lowering, and antioxidant activities, but has had limitations in use due to low bioavailability. Nanoparticles have protuberant efficacies to diagnose or cure a variety of diseases, including tumors, by fine-tuning their size, structure, and physicochemical characteristics. This study aims to develop a new dosage form of curcumin nanoparticles with zinc oxide to enhance its therapeutic efficacy against cancer and cause no damage to genetics. Curcumin zinc oxide nanoparticles were prepared and characterized by using a Zeta sizer, ultraviolet (UV)-spectrophotometer, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Different concentrations range from 40 to 0.078 μg/mL, and these nanoparticles were evaluated for their anticancer activity by colorimetric analysis (MTT assay) on normal (Vero) and cancerous cell lines (MCF-7) and genotoxicity by the comet assay. The spherical-shaped curcumin zinc oxide nanoparticles of 189 nm size were prepared with characteristic functional groups. The selectivity index of curcumin zinc oxide nanoparticles, calculated from IC values, is 4.60 > 2.0, showing anticancer potential comparable to tamoxifen. The genetic damage index of the highest concentration (40 μg/mL) of curcumin zinc oxide nanoparticles was 0.08, with a percent fragmentation of 8%. The results suggest that nanoparticles of curcumin zinc oxide produced better anticancer effects and did not cause any significant damage to the DNA. Consequently, further research is required to ensure the development of a safe and quality dosage form of nanoparticles for proper utilization.
姜黄中的姜黄素因其具有抗癌、抗炎、降胆固醇和抗氧化等药理特性，传统上一直被使用，但由于生物利用度低，其应用存在局限性。纳米颗粒通过微调其大小、结构和物理化学特性，在诊断或治疗包括肿瘤在内的多种疾病方面具有突出功效。本研究旨在开发一种含氧化锌的姜黄素纳米颗粒新剂型，以增强其抗癌治疗效果且不对基因造成损害。采用Zeta粒度分析仪、紫外可见分光光度计、扫描电子显微镜和傅里叶变换红外光谱对制备的姜黄素氧化锌纳米颗粒进行了表征。不同浓度范围为40至0.078μg/mL，通过比色分析（MTT法）对正常细胞系（Vero）和癌细胞系（MCF-7）评估这些纳米颗粒的抗癌活性，并通过彗星试验评估其遗传毒性。制备出了具有特征官能团、尺寸为189nm的球形姜黄素氧化锌纳米颗粒。根据IC值计算得出的姜黄素氧化锌纳米颗粒的选择性指数为4.60＞2.0，显示出与他莫昔芬相当的抗癌潜力。姜黄素氧化锌纳米颗粒最高浓度（40μg/mL）的遗传损伤指数为0.08，片段化百分比为8%。结果表明，姜黄素氧化锌纳米颗粒产生了更好的抗癌效果，且未对DNA造成任何显著损伤。因此，需要进一步研究以确保开发出安全优质的纳米颗粒剂型以供合理应用。
