Preparation and performance characterization of curcumin nanoparticles / 中草药

ABSTRACT

Objective: To construct drug delivery system loaded with curcumin (H-PtNP-Cur) to solve weak solubility and low bioavailability of curcumin, achieving more effectively anti-tumor responses. Methods: The particle size, Zeta potential, and morphology of the nanocarrier were investigated by Zetasizer (Nano ZS 90, Malvern) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The stability of the nanocarrier was investigated by stability experiments. UV-visible spectrophotometry was used to verify the adsorption of curcumin (Cur) on the Pt nanoparticles. The drug loading amount and release rate were analyzed by dialysis method using HPLC. The uptake of nanocarriers by HepG2 cells was analyzed by flow cytometry. The toxicity of nanocarriers to HepG2 cells was investigated by MTT assay. The inhibitory effect of nanocarriers on HepG2 cells was studied by cell imaging. Results: The H-PtNP-Cur carrier was successfully prepared. The morphology of particles was regular and uniform. The particle size, Zeta potential, the drug loading amount, and entrapment efficiency were (146.2 ± 1.5) nm, (−10.5 ± 0.6) mV, (12.4 ± 2.7)%, and (81.4 ± 1.3)%, respectively. The prepared nanocarrier had good stability. The in vitro release results showed that the carrier could sustain the slow release of curcumin. The results of cellular uptake indicated that the nanocarriers promoted the uptake of HepG2 cells. The MTT assay indicated that the nanocarriers could significantly inhibit the growth of HepG2 cells than free curcumin. The cell imaging experiments showed that the inhibition rate of H-PtNP-Cur on HepG2 cells was the highest. Conclusion: The H-PtNP-Cur has obvious inhibiting effects on the growth of HepG2 cells, which provides a new way for the treatment of liver cancer.