Artemisinin-loaded niosome and pegylated niosome: physicochemical characterization and effects on MCF-7 cell proliferation

Artemisinin (ART)-loaded niosome and
pegylated niosomes were prepared using two different techniques.
Nanosized lipid vesicles were physically characterized
for entrapment efficacy and stability. Particle sizes
were determined and release kinetic of the optimized formulation
was carried out by dialysis method. The efficacy
of the developed formulation was tested on MCF7 cells and
cytotoxicity was accomplished by MTT assay. Common
observation was the effect of pegylation on the reduction of
vesicle size due to its hydrophilic nature. Span 60 niosomes
had slightly larger vesicle size than Span 20 niosomes. Over
all the good stability was observed over 60 days. In vitro
drug release studies indicate gradual release of niosome
over 40 h. similar trend in drug release was observed for
most formulation except for the multilammellar pegylated
niosomes. Pegylation of niosomes causes increased stability
and efficacy of ART. Cytotoxicity (
IC50) was evaluated
at different time of incubation at 48 and 72 h for selected
niosomal formulations. Pegylated ART niosomes show
great advantages in term of interaction with MCF-7 cell
membrane. Results suggest that pegylated niosomes may
be an appropriate candidate for the clinical administration