Immobilization of olive leaf extract with chitosan nanoparticles as an adjunct to enhance cytotoxicity

Abstract

We immobilized the olive leaf extract (OLE) with chitosannanoparticles(CNPs) by optimizing the effect of various immobilization conditions,and OLE-loaded CNPs (OLE-CNPs) were then elaborately characterizedphysicochemically by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transforminfrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), andatomic force microscopy (AFM). Under optimal conditions, CNPs wereable to accommodate the OLE with a loading capacity of 97.5%. Theresulting OLE-CNPs had a spherical morphology, and their average diameterwas approximately 100 nm. The cytotoxic influence, cell cycle distribution,and apoptosis stage of OLE and OLE-CNPs were analyzed on lung carcinoma(A549) and breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cell lines. In an in vitrocytotoxic assay, IC50 values of OLE-CNPs were determinedto be 540 & mu;g/mL for A549 and 810 & mu;g/mL for MCF-7. Thetreatment of both A549 and MCF-7 with OLE-CNPs caused the highestcell arrest in G0/G1 in a dose-independent manner. OLE-CNPs affectedcell cycle distribution in a manner different from free OLE treatmentin both cancer cells. A549 and MCF-7 cells were predominantly foundin the late apoptosis and necrosis phases, respectively, upon treatmentof 1000 & mu;M OLE-CNPs. Our results suggest that CNPs enhance theutility of OLEs as nutraceuticals in cancer and that OLE-CNPs canbe utilized as an adjunct to cancer therapy.