Neuroprotective ability of Apocynin Loaded Nanoparticles (APO-NPs) as NADPH Oxidase (NOX)-Mediated ROS Modulator for Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Oxidative Neuronal Injuries

Abstract

Apocynin (APO) is a known multi enzymatic complexed compound, employed as a viable NADPH oxidase (NOX) inhibitor, extensively used in both traditional and modern-day therapeutic strategies to combat neuronal disorders. However, its therapeutic efficacy is limited by its lower solubility and lesser bioavailability thus, a suitable nanocarrier system to overcome such limitations is needed. Present study is designed to fabricate APO loaded polymeric nanoparticles (APO-NPs) to enhance its therapeutic efficacy and sustainability in the biological system. The optimized APO NPs in the study exhibited 103.6 ± 6.8 nm and -13.7 ± 0.43 mV of particle size and zeta potential respectively along with further confirmation by TEM. Also, the antioxidant (AO) abilities quantified by DPPH and Nitric oxide scavenging assays exhibited comparatively higher AO potential of APO-NPs than APO alone. In-vitro release profile displayed a linear diffusion pattern of zero order kinetics for APO–NPs, followed by its cytotoxicity evaluation on PC12 cell line that revealed minimal toxicity with higher cell viability, even after treatment with stress inducer (H2O2). The stability of APO-NPs checked after six months showed minimal AO decline in comparison to APO only, indicating that designed nano formulation has enhanced therapeutic efficacy for modulating NOX mediated ROS generation.