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. 2023 Jun 15;28(12):4776.
doi: 10.3390/molecules28124776.

Morin Hydrate Encapsulation and Release from Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for Melanoma Therapy

Catarina Cunha  1   2 , Diogo Marinheiro  2 , Bárbara J M L Ferreira  2 , Helena Oliveira  1 , Ana L Daniel-da-Silva  2
Affiliations

Morin Hydrate Encapsulation and Release from Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for Melanoma Therapy

Catarina Cunha et al. Molecules. .

Abstract

Melanoma incidence, a type of skin cancer, has been increasing worldwide. There is a strong need to develop new therapeutic strategies to improve melanoma treatment. Morin is a bioflavonoid with the potential for use in the treatment of cancer, including melanoma. However, therapeutic applications of morin are restrained owing to its low aqueous solubility and limited bioavailability. This work investigates morin hydrate (MH) encapsulation in mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) to enhance morin bioavailability and consequently increase the antitumor effects in melanoma cells. Spheroidal MSNs with a mean size of 56.3 ± 6.5 nm and a specific surface area of 816 m2/g were synthesized. MH was successfully loaded (MH-MSN) using the evaporation method, with a loading capacity of 28.3% and loading efficiency of 99.1%. In vitro release studies showed that morin release from MH-MSNs was enhanced at pH 5.2, indicating increased flavonoid solubility. The in vitro cytotoxicity of MH and MH-MSNs on human A375, MNT-1 and SK-MEL-28 melanoma cell lines was investigated. Exposure to MSNs did not affect the cell viability of any of the cell lines tested, suggesting that the nanoparticles are biocompatible. The effect of MH and MH-MSNs on reducing cell viability was time- and concentration-dependent in all melanoma cell lines. The A375 and SK-MEL-28 cell lines were slightly more sensitive than MNT-1 cells in both the MH and MH-MSN treatments. Our findings suggest that MH-MSNs are a promising delivery system for the treatment of melanoma.

Keywords: melanoma; mesoporous silica nanoparticles; morin; nano delivery system; nanotechnology.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Morin chemical structure.
Figure 2
Figure 2
MSN physicochemical characterization. (a) TEM micrograph; (b) particle size distribution histogram (N = 135 particles); (c) low-angle XRD diffraction pattern; (d) N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms at 77 K.
Figure 3
Figure 3
FTIR spectra (1850 to 350 cm−1) of MSNs, morin hydrate (MH) and loaded particles (MH-MSNs).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Characterization of MH, MSNs and MH-MSNs: (a) TGA; (b) DTA; (c) DSC and (d) XRD.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Cumulative release of morin from the non-encapsulated (MH) and encapsulated sample (MH-MSNs) at pH 7.4 and pH 5.2.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Effect of MSNs (0–250 µg/mL) on cell viability of (a) A375 cell line; (b) MNT-1 cell line; and (c) SK-MEL-28 cell line. Cell viability was evaluated using MTT assay after 24, 48 and 72 h of exposure. Results are presented as mean ± standard deviation (SD).
Figure 7
Figure 7
Effect of morin hydrate (MH) (0–200 µg/mL) on cell viability of (a) A375 cell line; (b) MNT-1 cell line; and (c) SK-MEL-28 cell lines. Cell viability was evaluated using MTT assay after 24, 48, and 72 h of exposure. Results are presented as mean ± standard deviation (SD). Values presented are the means ± SD. *, # and + indicate significant differences between control at p < 0.05 for 24 h, 48 h and 72 h, respectively.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Effect of morin-loaded MSNs (MH-MSNs) (0–500 µg/mL) on cell viability of (a) A375 cell line; (b) MNT-1 cell line; and (c) SK-MEL-28 cell line. Cell viability was evaluated using MTT assay after 24, 48 and 72 h of exposure. [MH] represents the estimated concentration of MH loaded in the nanosystem. Results are presented as mean ± standard deviation (SD). *, # and + indicate significant differences between control at p < 0.05 for 24 h, 48 h and 72 h, respectively.
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