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Quercetin-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles exhibit antitumor activity and suppress the proliferation of triple-negative MDA-MB 231 breast cancer cells: implications for invasive breast cancer treatment

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Abstract

Background

Quercetin (QC) is a naturally occurring flavonoid found in abundance in fruits and vegetables. Its anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties have been previously demonstrated, but its low bioavailability hampers its clinical use. Triple-negative breast cancer is a subtype of breast cancer with a poor response to chemotherapy. This study investigates the anti-cancer effects of quercetin-solid lipid nanoparticles (QC-SLN) on the triple-negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB231.

Materials and methods

MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 cells were treated with 18.9 µM of QC and QC-SLN for 48 h. Cell viability, apoptosis, colony formation assay, and the anti-angiogenic effects of the treatment were evaluated.

Results

QC-SLN displayed optimal properties (particle size of 154 nm, zeta potential of –27.7 mV, encapsulation efficiency of 99.6%, and drug loading of 1.81%) and exhibited sustained release of QC over 72 h. Compared to the QC group, the QC-SLN group showed a significant decrease in cell viability, colony formation, angiogenesis, and a substantial increase in apoptosis through the modulation of Bax and Bcl-2 at both gene and protein levels. The augmentation in the proportion of cleaved-to-pro caspases 3 and 9, as well as poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), under the influence of QC-SLN, was conspicuously observed in both cancer cell lines.

Conclusions

This study showcases quercetin-solid lipid nanoparticles (QC-SLN) as a promising therapy for triple-negative breast cancer. The optimized QC-SLN formulation improved physicochemical properties and sustained quercetin release, resulting in reduced cell viability, colony formation, angiogenesis, and increased apoptosis in the MDA-MB231 cell line. These effects were driven by modulating Bax and Bcl-2 expression, activating caspases 3 and 9, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Further in vivo studies are needed to confirm QC-SLN’s efficacy and safety.

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Data availability

The data and materials used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on request.

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Acknowledgements

The research was financially supported by grant number CMRC − 9914 from the Cellular and molecular research center, medical basic sciences research institute Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. This paper was extracted from PhD thesis of Mahdi Hatami.

Funding

The research was financially supported by the Cellular and Molecular Research Center of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (CMRC - 9914), Ahvaz, Iran.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Medical Basic Sciences Research Institution, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

    Mahdi Hatami, Layasadat Khorsandi & Mojtaba Rashidi

  2. Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

    Mahdi Hatami, Alireza Kheirollah & Mojtaba Rashidi

  3. Nanotechnology Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

    Maryam Kouchak

  4. Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

    Maryam Kouchak

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  1. Mahdi Hatami
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Contributions

MR significantly contributed to the conceptualization and design of the work. MK and LK prepared and updated the material. AK: data analysis and interpretation. MH: the acquisition, interpretation, and analysis of data.

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Correspondence to Mojtaba Rashidi.

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Hatami, M., Kouchak, M., Kheirollah, A. et al. Quercetin-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles exhibit antitumor activity and suppress the proliferation of triple-negative MDA-MB 231 breast cancer cells: implications for invasive breast cancer treatment. Mol Biol Rep 50, 9417–9430 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-023-08848-w

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