Fabrication, characterization and evaluation of anti-cancer and antibacterial properties of nanosystems containing Hedera Helix aqueous extracts

In this study we synthesized and characterized nanoniosome containing Hedera Helix extract to evaluate its therapeutic properties on breast cancer cells in order to provide a new effective treatment strategy with low side effects for the treatment of this malignancy in the clinical stage. After extracting the Hedera helix by Soxhlet method, different formulations of noisomes containing the extract were synthesized and after investigating the load and release rate of the drug by spectrophotometry, the optimal formulation was selected. Then other physiochemical properties of nanosystems such as size and zeta potential by DLS method, system interaction and extract by FTIR method, system response to temperature and pH stimuli by spectrophotometry, nanoparticle morphology using SEM and AFM microscope, the stability of nanoparticles over 6 months and the antimicrobial properties of the system compared to the free form of extract were examined. Finally, the cellular uptake of nanosystem by flow cytometry microscope and its toxicity on MCF-7 and BT-474 breast cancer cell lines, MCF-10A breast normal cell line and HFF cell line were evaluated by MTT method. Results showed that the synthesized nanosystems with a size of 75.1 nm and PDI of 0.345 with a zeta potential of -20.6 ± 0.44 mV were morphologically suitable and had no interaction between niosomes and extracts. Also, the Encapsulation Efficiency in the system was 80.1 ± 2.2% and the drug release rate from the nanosystem was 57.2% in 72 hours. The stability of the system during 6 months and the response of the system to various stimuli was also appropriate. Also, encapsulation of the extract not only improved its antimicrobial properties compared to the extract, but also increased its anti-cancer effect on cancer cells although the nanosystem had no toxic effect on normal cells.