β-Casein nanoparticle-based oral drug delivery system for potential treatment of gastric carcinoma: Stability, target-activated release and cytotoxicity

We studied a potential drug delivery system comprising the hydrophobic anticancer drug paclitaxel entrapped within β-casein (β-CN) nanoparticles and its cytotoxicity to human gastric carcinoma cells. Paclitaxel was entrapped by stirring its dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solution into PBS containing β-CN. Cryo-TEM analysis revealed drug nanocrystals, the growth of which was blocked by β-CN. Entrapment efficiency was nearly 100%, and the nanovehicles formed were colloidally stable. Following encapsulation and simulated digestion with pepsin (2 hours at pH = 2, 37 °C), paclitaxel retained its cytotoxic activity to human N-87 gastric cancer cells; the IC50 value (32.5 ± 6.2 nM) was similar to that of non-encapsulated paclitaxel (25.4 ± 2.6 nM). Without prior simulated gastric digestion, β-CN-paclitaxel nanoparticles were non-cytotoxic, suggesting the lack of untoward toxicity to bucal and esophageal epithelia. We conclude that β-CN shows promise to be useful for target-activated oral delivery of hydrophobic chemotherapeutics in the treatment of gastric carcinoma, one of the leading causes of cancer mortality worldwide.

β-casein nanoparticles entrapped and stabilized paclitaxel and its nanocrystals at high loading efficiency. Target-activated release performance was demonstrated as the cytotoxicity to human gastric carcinoma cell line was found only after simulated gastric digestion, suggesting potential for oral delivery of chemotherapy.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide