Delivery of Moringa oleifera Extract via PLA-PEG-FA/Chitosan-PLA NPs into Breast Cancer Cell Lines

Abstract

Nanotechnology offers a promising solution for overcoming chemotherapy challenges in cancer treatment by enabling targeted drug delivery. Moringa oleifera Lam. containing significant medicinal compounds, is known for its anticancer and antioxidant characteristics. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of polymeric PLA-PEG-FA/Chitosan-PLA nanoparticles on targeted delivery of this plant’s extract and their effects on the growth and viability of cancer cell lines. Aqueous extracts were obtained from plant and callus tissues of M. oleifera. A solvent diffusion technique was employed to prepare PLA-PEG-FA/PLA-Chitosan nanoparticles. The copolymers were encapsulated with moringa aqueous extract, its callus extract, and pure quercetin. The physicochemical characteristics of nanoparticles were evaluated. Finally, drug encapsulation efficiency, drug release, in vitro cytotoxicity, and cell apoptosis analysis were conducted to study the drug delivery efficiency to MCF-7 and BT-549 breast cancer cell lines. PLA-PEG-FA/PLA-Chitosan nanoparticles synthesized exhibit a spherical shape with an average size of 230 nm and a zeta potential of -6.4 mV. The spectrophotometric assessment revealed that drug release was more pronounced at acidic pH. The water-soluble tetrazolium salt (WST-1) assay demonstrated the biocompatibility of the drug nanocarriers and their low toxicity. Furthermore, the highest percentage of pre- and post-apoptotic cells was detected in the BT-549 cell line treated with PLA-PEG-FA/Chitosan-PLA/Quercetin nanoparticles (31.2 and 7.15%, respectively). it was concluded that PLA-Chitosan and PLA-PEG-FA/Chitosan-PLA copolymers nanoparticles exhibit a high capability for the targeted delivery of Quercetin, the anticancer compounds present in the Moringa water extract (from plant and callus tissue) towards cancer cells.