Design, synthesis and formulation of niosomes containing acetaminophen: structural properties, anticancer effects and apoptotic gene expression analysis

Niosomes are innovative targeted drug delivery systems that enhance the biological properties of drugs. This study aimed to synthesize acetaminophen-containing niosomes, investigate their structural characteristics, assess cytotoxicity, and analyze the expression of apoptotic genes.

In this experimental study, various formulations of acetaminophen-loaded niosomes were synthesized. Their structural characteristics were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The cytotoxic effects on the colon cancer cell line (HT29) were assessed via the MTT colorimetric method. Additionally, the expression levels of apoptotic genes Bax and Bcl2 were evaluated.

The synthesis results indicated that the Nio1 formulation was the optimal variant, exhibiting a size of 289.6 nm. FTIR analysis confirmed successful niosome synthesis. Drug release tests revealed that the release rate of acetaminophen in niosome form was significantly slower than that of the free drug, with only 28% released over 8 hours. Furthermore, niosomes containing acetaminophen demonstrated significant cytotoxic effects against the HT29 cell line. The expression of the apoptotic gene Bax increased significantly by 2.14±0.34 (P<0.01), while the expression of Bcl2 decreased by 0.46±0.11 (P<0.01).

The findings of this study indicate that acetaminophen-loaded niosomes exhibit significant cytotoxic effects against the HT29 cell line and enhance the expression of apoptotic genes. These results suggest that niosomes could be a promising drug delivery system, warranting further research to optimize their application in cancer treatment.