The Synthesis and Development of Poly(Ε-Caprolactone) Conjugated Polyoxyethylene Sorbitan Oleate-Based Micelles for Curcumin Drug Release: An in Vitro Study on Breast Cancer Cells Publisher



Shadmani N¹ ; Gohari S² ; Kadkhodamanesh A³ ; Ghaderinia P^{4, 5} ; Hassani M⁶ ; Sharifyrad M⁴
Source: RSC Advances Published:2023

Abstract

Background: it is now known that curcumin (Cur) has a broad range of biological properties; however, photosensitivity, as well as low bioavailability and short half-life, have limited its clinical application. To overcome these problems the synthesis of poly(ϵ-caprolactone)-Tween 80 (PCL-T) copolymers was performed. Methods: the copolymers of PCL-T were created using the solvent evaporation/extraction technique. Then Cur was loaded in PCL-T micelles (PCL-T-M) by a self-assembly method. The characterization of copolymer and micelles was assessed by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1HNMR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS) methods. The MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay was used to indicate the cytotoxicity of the free Cur, PCL-T-M, and Cur-loaded PCL-T-M. Results: TEM analysis showed monodispersed and spherical shapes with a size of about 90 nm. Cur was released from PCL-T-M at pH 7.4 (45%) and 5.5 (90%) during 6 days. After 24 and 48 h, the IC50 of the free Cur, PCL-T-M, and Cur-loaded PCL-T-M on MCF-7 cells were 80.86 and 54.45 μg mL−1, 278.30 and 236.19 μg mL−1, 45.47 and 19.05 μg mL−1, respectively. Conclusion: this study showed that, in the same concentration, the effectiveness of the Cur-loaded PCL-T-M is more than the free Cur, and the nano-system has been able to overcome delivery obstacles of Cur drug. Thus, PCL-T-M can be a candidate as a drug carrier for the delivery of Cur and future therapeutic investigations on breast cancer. © 2023 The Royal Society of Chemistry.