Development and in vitro cytotoxicity assessment of nanoemulsified lawsone

Abstract

Lawsone is a biomolecule that belongs to the naphthoquinone class found in henna leaves. This quinone is widely used in cosmetic products being considered the oldest coloring agent applied for dyeing hair. Moreover, biological activities have been attributed to lawsone such as antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer. However, these activities are mostly limited due to its low aqueous solubility and chemical instability. In this context, this study aimed to develop nanoemulsion containing lawsone (NE-law) and assess its in vitro cytotoxicity against cervical carcinoma cells. Emulsion phase inversion method was used to prepare nanoemulsion formulations (NE1, NE2, NE3, NE4, and NE-law). Following the formulation development, NE1 formulation was chosen to incorporate lawsone, presenting average droplet size about 45 nm with narrow size distribution (PdI <0.1) and negative zeta potential ( -13 mV). In TEM analyses, droplets were visualized with irregular spherical shapes, high homogeneity, and without aggregation. The incorporation efficiency of lawsone into NE was higher than 90 %, and in vitro release profile of this naphthoquinone from formulation was gradual and regular throughout the experiment. Nanoemulsified lawsone improved in vitro cytotoxicity on cervical carcinoma cells compared to free lawsone. Therefore, we prepared a stable lawsone-loaded NE using a reproducible emulsification method.

Lawsone encapsulated polylactic‐co‐glycolic acid nanoparticles modified with chitosan‐folic acid successfully inhibited cell growth and triggered apoptosis in Panc‐1 cancer cells

“…Performing free radical scavenging assay, we also showed that LWS-PLGA-FA-CS nanoparticle efficiently inhibited the ABTS and DPPH radicals, which is in agreement with previous reports regarding the antioxidant properties of different derivatives of Henna [51,52]. We found out that LWS-PLGA-FA-CS nanoparticles possessed both bactericidal and bacteriostatic activites against E.Coli and P. aeruginosa as well, which is in agreement with previous reports [8,15,17]. Abadehie et al also introduced Lawsone encapsulated chitosan mat as a potent antibacterial wound dressing [14].…”

“…In this line, Barani et al used lawsoneencapsulated niosome against MCF-7 breast cancer cell line and reported an enhanced antitumour activity [15]. Another study applied nanoemulsifed lawsone and reported an improved in vitro cytotoxicity against cervical carcinoma cells [17]. Rasouliyan et al study on a lung cancer cell line indicated that lawsone-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles induced apoptosis and necrosis, and downregulated BCL-2 expression, which is in agreement with the present findings [16].…”

“…used lawsone‐encapsulated niosome against MCF‐7 breast cancer cell line and reported an enhanced antitumour activity [15]. Another study applied nanoemulsifed lawsone and reported an improved in vitro cytotoxicity against cervical carcinoma cells [17]. Rasouliyan et al.…”

“…To our best knowledge, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), nanoemulsion, and niosome are the only nanocarriers for lawsone delivery that have been formulated before against cancerous cell lines. [14][15][16][17]. However, there is no data regarding the therapeutic potential of lawsone against pancreatic cancer.…”

Exploring the Therapeutic Potential of Lawsone and Nanoparticles in Cancer and Infectious Disease Management

“…[61] Nanoemulsified lawsone (NE-law) showed improved in vitro cytotoxicity against cervical carcinoma cells compared to free lawsone, making it a stable and promising formulation for further development. [62] Bacterial cellulose incorporating dendrimer, chitosan, Henna, Green tea, and Malva sylvestris exhibited antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The samples showed good biocompatibility and controlled drug release, with Green tea demonstrating the most potent antimicrobial effect.…”