Characterization and toxicity of citral incorporated with nanostructured lipid carrier

Abstract

The nanoparticle as a cancer drug delivery vehicle is rapidly under investigation due to its promising applicability as a novel drug delivery system for anticancer agents. This study describes the development, characterization and toxicity studies of a nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) system for citral. Citral was loaded into the NLC using high pressure homogenization methods. The characterizations of NLC-citral were then determined through various methods. Based on Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) analysis, NLC-Citral showed a spherical shape with an average diameter size of 54.12 ± 0.30 nm and a polydipersity index of 0.224 ± 0.005. The zeta potential of NLC-Citral was −12.73 ± 0.34 mV with an entrapment efficiency of 98.9 ± 0.124%, and drug loading of 9.84 ± 0.041%. Safety profile of the formulation was examined via in vitro and in vivo routes to study its effects toward normal cells. NLC-Citral exhibited no toxic effects towards the proliferation of mice splenocytes. Moreover, no mortality and toxic signs were observed in the treated groups after 28 days of treatment. There were also no significant alterations in serum biochemical analysis for all treatments. Increase in immunomodulatory effects of treated NLC-Citral and Citral groups was verified from the increase in CD4/CD3 and CD8/CD3 T cell population in both NLC-citral and citral treated splenocytes. This study suggests that NLC is a promising drug delivery system for citral as it has the potential in sustaining drug release without inducing any toxicity.

Citral Protects Human Endothelial Cells against Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Oxidative Stress

“…Nordin et al reported similar results for the effect of citral on the proliferation of normal spleen cells. 22 In the present investigation, citral also exhibited antioxidant effects through reducing hydroperoxides level and elevating FRAP value in intra-and extra-cellular fluids. Measurement of ROS provides important data to study the effects of oxidative stress inducers and antioxidant remedies.…”

<p>Novel Drug Delivery Systems for Loading of Natural Plant Extracts and Their Biomedical Applications</p>

“…This work overcame the limitation of applying the CEO to aqueous-based foods. 26 Currently, various novel and innovative NLC have been produced as a carrier to target anticancer functions such as zerumbone, 27 thymoquinone 28,29 and citral 30 and as a worthy drug observably increased antitumor activity in leukemia and breast tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. More examples of compounds loaded NLC are presented in Table 1.…”

Terpenoids, Cannabimimetic Ligands, beyond the Cannabis Plant

“…In order to improve citral solubility and delivery without enhancing toxic effects in vivo, Nordin and colleagues incorporated citral into a nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) and evaluated its in vitro anti-cancer effects. Initially, they showed that NLC as a drug delivery system for citral has the potential to sustain drug release without inducing any toxicity [269]. Then, they showed that NLC-citral regulated apoptosis, cell cycle, and metastasis signaling, all key signaling pathways related to cancer development [261].…”