Physicochemical Characterization of Curcumin Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles: Implications in Cervical Cancer

Background: Curcumin is a potent anticancer agent and has great potential efficacy against different types of cancers. A major disadvantage of curcumin, however, is its poor solubility and bioavailability. Objective: The aim of the present work is to synthesize chitosan and curcumin-loaded chitosan nanoparticles and their characterization through various physicochemical methods and cellular uptake in cervical cancer cell line SiHa. Method: Chitosan nanoparticles were synthesized through the method of ionic gelation of chitosan with sodium Tripolyphosphate (TPP). In addition, the internal structure of chitosan nanoparticles and curcumin loaded chitosan nanoparticles were characterized by DLS, UV-Visible spectrophotometer, DSC, LCMS and LDH assay. Results: The studies presented demonstrate that curcumin-loaded chitosan nanoparticles showed increased uptake in the SiHa cells as compared to free curcumin and chitosan nanoparticles did not show any significant uptake in SiHa cell line. The curcumin-loaded chitosan nanoparticles released more lactate and lower ATP as compared to native curcumin in cervical cancer lines such as SiHa, CaSki and HeLa. Conclusion: Thus, chitosan based curcumin nanoparticles could be used as a potent vector / delivery agent for drug targeting in the treatment of cervical cancer.