Synthesis of albumin nanoparticles as biodegradable drug nanocarriers and the study of loading capacity of curcumin as anticancer phytopolylphenol

Cancer is one of the most common causes of death in today s world. Conventional treatments cause extensive systemic toxicity and serious side effects. Therefore, there is an urgent need for appropriate treatment for cancer that is highly accurate with minimal side effects using nanocarrier vehicles. Preparation of albumin nanoparticles as powerful carrier to release appropriate compounds for the treatment of many diseases, including cancer, is very important. We have used the coacervation method by adding ethanol solution to precipitate bovine albumin which is the cumulative process based on the difference in protein solubility in aqueous solution and insoluble matter of ethanol. The precipitated solute nanoparticles were crosslinked using 8% glutaraldehyde solution and overnight incubation for the aim of stabilizing nanoparticles structures. The adsorption possibility of anticancer compound, curcumin, on the nanoparticles surface was evaluated. Different experimental techniques were performed to analyze the nanoparticles behavior and drug loading capacity using UV-Vis spectrophotometer, DLS, SEM and AFM. Data indicated that the average size of nanoparticles are in the range of 70-100 nm. The optimized method clearly showed that the drug loading capacity of albumin nanoparticles are70%-75%. The finding suggests a new strategy for cancer treatment with biodegradable nanoparticles and high capacity for drug vehicles.

Keywords:

Nanoparticles , Antioxidant , Cancer , Loading , UV-Vis Spectrophotometer