Sustained delivery of andrographolide from 3D porous scaffolds imparting anticancer activity

The sustained release of therapeutic drugs into the tumor environment is gaining much attention due to its advantages like low systemic side effects, high efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Hence in this study, sustained release of andrographolide (AG) from three-dimensional porous polycaprolactone scaffolds has been formulated. AG loaded albumin nanoparticle (ANP) was synthesized and loaded into 12% (w/v) polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds at different concentrations were characterized for their structure and stability. Further, X-ray diffraction and Raman analysis of ANP and the scaffold groups clearly demonstrated amorphization of andrographolide, which is extremely favorable for drug delivery applications. In addition, FTIR analysis indicated that the drug remained chemically inert to the fabrication process. High-resolution scanning electron microscopy revealed a densely interconnected porous scaffold (diameter 50 mu m-300 mu m) with ANP sizes ranging from 100 nm to 200 nm. Moreover, these scaffolds exposed showed a sustained release of AG for 8 days, in which the concentration of drug released, was governed by the concentration of ANP in the scaffolds. Furthermore, these scaffolds caused significant (P < 0.1) toxicity in HeLa cell lines. The metabolic viability and apoptosis of anticancer activities were assessed. In summary, such sustained-release formulation of andrographolide from polycaprolactone scaffolds for delivery into a cancer environment would be highly beneficial to overcoming current deficits in targeted cancer therapy. All of the results demonstrated the potential utility of the ANP to be a better strategy to enhance the therapeutic approach.

Automated summary

The sustained release of andrographolide from polycaprolactone scaffolds has been successfully achieved, demonstrating its potential in targeted cancer therapy. The study highlights the importance of scaffold structure and drug concentration in the release process.