Nanoparticles based on crocin loaded chitosan-alginate biopolymers: Antioxidant activities, bioavailability and anticancer properties

Crocin, a water-soluble carotenoid in saffron, is a highly bioactive compound with limited use due to instability to pH variations, heat and oxidative stress, rapid absorption and low bioavailability. In this study, chitosan-alginate nanoparticles, considered as a new vehicle for crocin to improve properties in terms of antioxidant activity, bioavailability and anticancer activity. The swelling of crocin loaded nanoparticles was pH-dependent so that the highest swelling ratio (16 gig) was observed in acidic condition (pH = 1.2) after 24 h. The antioxidant activity of the crocin loaded nanoparticles was the same effective as pure crocin on DPPH free radical scavenging and ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP). In vitro crocin release profile from composite nanoparticles was investigated under simulated physiological conditions during incubation time. The experimental reports collected in this study strongly indicate that nanoparticles loaded with crocin could be the prospective candidates for the future anti-cancer therapeutics that deserve additional investigations. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.