Solid Polymeric Nanoparticles of Albendazole: Synthesis, Physico-Chemical Characterization and Biological Activity
Roxana Racoviceanu,
Cristina Trandafirescu,
Mirela Voicu,
Roxana Ghiulai,
Florin Borcan,
Cristina Dehelean,
Claudia Watz,
Zoltán Aigner,
Rita Ambrus,
Dorina Elena Coricovac,
Denisa Cîrcioban,
Alexandra Mioc,
Camelia Alexandrina Szuhanek,
Codruţa Şoica
Affiliations
Roxana Racoviceanu
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2nd Eftimie Murgu Sq., 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Cristina Trandafirescu
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2nd Eftimie Murgu Sq., 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Mirela Voicu
Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2nd Eftimie Murgu Sq., 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Roxana Ghiulai
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2nd Eftimie Murgu Sq., 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Florin Borcan
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2nd Eftimie Murgu Sq., 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Cristina Dehelean
Department of Toxicology, Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2nd Eftimie Murgu Sq., 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Claudia Watz
Department of Pharmaceutical Physics, Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2nd Eftimie Murgu Sq., 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Zoltán Aigner
Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology and Regulatory Affairs, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Szeged, 6th Eotvos Str., 6720 Szeged, Hungary
Rita Ambrus
Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology and Regulatory Affairs, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Szeged, 6th Eotvos Str., 6720 Szeged, Hungary
Dorina Elena Coricovac
Department of Toxicology, Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2nd Eftimie Murgu Sq., 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Denisa Cîrcioban
Department of Analytical Chemistry, Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2nd Eftimie Murgu Sq., 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Alexandra Mioc
Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Physiopathology, Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2nd Eftimie Murgu Sq., 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Camelia Alexandrina Szuhanek
Department of Orthodontics, Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 9th Revolutiei din 1989 Bvd, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Codruţa Şoica
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 2nd Eftimie Murgu Sq., 300041 Timisoara, Romania
Albendazole is a benzimidazole derivative with documented antitumor activity and low toxicity to healthy cells. The major disadvantage in terms of clinical use is its low aqueous solubility which limits its bioavailability. Albendazole was incorporated into stable and homogeneous polyurethane structures with the aim of obtaining an improved drug delivery system model. Spectral and thermal analysis was used to investigate the encapsulation process and confirmed the presence of albendazole inside the nanoparticles. The in vitro anticancer properties of albendazole encapsulated in polyurethane structures versus the un-encapsulated compound were tested on two breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231, in terms of cellular viability and apoptosis induction. The study showed that the encapsulation process enhanced the antitumor activity of albendazole on the MCF-7 and MDA-MB-23 breast cancer lines. The cytotoxic activity manifested in a concentration-dependent manner and was accompanied by changes in cell morphology and nuclear fragmentation.
