Andrographis paniculata crude extract and its polymeric nanoparticles fraction for inhibition of cervix cancer cells

Cervix cancer contributes to high mortality rate around the world and various efforts have been done to identify suitable treatments and remedies, including the use of Andrographis paniculata, a plant rich in andrographolide (AG) with remarkable anti-cancer properties. AG in the form of nanoparticles has been proven to increase the efficiency and bioavailability of the herbal medicine. So far, no studies have been reported on the use of spontaneous emulsion solvent diffusion (SESD) method to produce polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs) of AG. Therefore, this study was conducted to produce crude extract and AG rich fraction, and SESD method was used to prepare the extracts into PNPs, which were then characterized and tested on cervix cancer cells. The crude extract and AG rich fraction were prepared by reflux technique, followed by successive soxhlet extraction. Polyvinyl alcohol (1%) was found to be the best concentration of emulsifier to prepare the PNPs at 2400 rpm for 5 min in a homogenizer. The nanomization achieved 80 % encapsulation efficiency with the particle size, 149.38 and 163.40 nm for crude extract and AG rich fraction, respectively. The low polydispersity index (0.23-0.38) also revealed uniform crude extract and AG rich fraction PNPs. The zeta potential values -37.30 and -57.85 mV for crude extract and AG rich fraction, respectively indicated stables PNPs. No significant chemical interaction was found between AG and polylactic-co-glycolic acid polymer on attenuated total reflection images. In vitro AG release showed a high initial burst release for both PNPs. The AG extracts, as well as their PNPs showed dose and time dependent anti-proliferative activities against hela cells. AG rich fraction exhibited higher anti-cancer activity than crude extract. Both extracts and their PNPs did not have any inhibition effect on proliferation of normal cells. Therefore, AG rich fraction PNPs was selective against the growth of cervix cancer cells. The findings of this study will be beneficial for relevant healthcare and therapeutic industries