Potential anticancer activity and mechanism of action of nanoformulated curcumin in experimental Ehrlich ascites carcinoma-bearing animals

Abstract

Aim: To study the potential use of nanoformulations of curcumin (CUR); CUR-loaded pluronic nanomicelles (CURnp1), and CUR-loaded poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles (CURnp2) as antitumor agents in Ehrlich ascites carcinoma-bearing animals, and their mechanism of action. Materials & methods: CURnp1 and CURnp2 were prepared, characterized and tested against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma-bearing mice. Superoxide dismutase, catalase (CAT), glutathione, malondialdehyde, histopathological, immunohistochemical studies, cell cycle and caspase-3 were investigated. Results & conclusion: CURnp1 destroyed tumors via increasing superoxide dismutase, CAT and glutathione, decreasing malondialdehyde through inducing apoptosis by decreasing Ki-67 and Bcl2 expression and activating caspase-3 leading to inhibition of proliferation and cell cycle arrest with progression at G1/S phase. The study demonstrated for the first time superiority of CURnp1 over native CUR and CURnp2 as anticancer agents.