Nano-encapsulated chlorophyllin significantly delays progression of lung cancer both in in vitro and in vivo models through activation of mitochondrial signaling cascades and drug-DNA interaction

•Chlorophyllin (CHL) is food additive having chemotherapeutic potential.•PLGA encapsulated nano-chlorophyllin (NCHL) possess anti-cancer property.•NCHL acts better than CHL in binding with calf-thymus DNA.•NCHL activates mitochondrial signaling cascades to initiate apoptosis.

Chlorophyllin (CHL), a sodium-copper-salt derived from chlorophyll, has been widely used as a food-dye, also reportedly having some anti-cancer effect. We tested if PLGA-loaded CHL (NCHL) could have additional protective abilities through its faster and targeted drug delivery in cancer cells. Physico-chemical characterization of NCHL was done through atomic-force microscopy and UV-spectroscopy. NCHL demonstrated greater ability of drug uptake and strong anti-cancer potentials in non-small cell lung cancer cells, A549, as revealed from data of% cell viability, generation of reactive-oxygen-species and expression of bax, bcl2, caspase3, p53 and cytochrome c proteins. Circular dichroic spectral data indicated strong binding of NCHL with calf-thymus-DNA, causing a conformational/structural change in DNA. Further, NCHL could cross the blood-brain-barrier in mice and showed greater efficacy in recovery process of tissue damage, reduction in chromosomal aberrations and% of micronuclei in co-mutagens (Sodiumarsenite + Benzo[a]Pyrene)-treated mice at a much reduced dose, indicating its use in therapeutic oncology.

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