Assessing the anticancer potential of Bergenia ciliata conjugated silk fibroin nanoparticles through histopathological and biomarkers study

Abstract

The present research has aimed to formulate fibroin nanoparticles (FNPs) and Bergenia ciliata-loaded fibroin nanoparticles (BCFNPs) to investigate their antitumor activity against breast cancer in mice. The prepared FNPs and BCFNPs characterized by Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Dynamic light scattering (DLS), Zeta potential measurement, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). UV-Vis spectroscopy revealed characteristic peak at 282 nm for FNPs and 285 nm for BCFNPs, indicating the successful development of fibroin nanoparticles (FNPs) and Bergenia ciliata-loaded fibroin nanoparticles (BCFNPs). FT-IR analysis identified characteristic absorption bands in the FNPs spectrum at 3350 cm^-1, 1654 cm^-1, 1587 cm^-1, and 1087 cm^-1, indicating the preserved secondary structure of fibroin. In the BCFNPs spectrum, peak shifts and intensity variations were observed at 3338 cm^-1 and 1180 cm^-1 due to the loading of the bioactive compound, indicating successful incorporation of B. ciliata. The DLS analysis confirmed that the FNPs were within the nanometer size range, while the zeta potential measurements indicated that FNPs and BCFNPs have slightly negative surface charge. The SEM analysis assessed the shapes of nanoparticles ranging from round, triangular, and hexagonal shapes and XRD peaks at 2ϴ (20-80) confirmed crystalline nature of FNPs and BCFNPs. In the present study, we established a mice model (Swiss albino) of breast cancer induced by CdCl₂ and treated with tamoxifen, Bergenia ciliata, FNP, and BCFNP to access their antitumor activity. During breast cancer induction, CdCl2 treated groups experienced weight loss, dropping from 30.2 to 18.0 g. After two months, administration of BCFNP significantly inversed the alteration of body weight. At the end of the trial, levels of blood serum biomarkers analyzed. All treatment groups showed better results but BCFNPs treated group exhibited significant reduction (P < 0.0001) in TNF-α (31.7 ± 1.4 pg/ml), IL-6 (20.2 ± 0.9 pg/mL), IL-10 (25.4 ± 1.9 pg/mL), LDH (481.0 ± 7.5 μmol/ml), ASAT (179.0 ± 7.3 μmol/ml), ALAT (532.8 ± 13.4 μmol/ml), and ALP (164.8 ± 5.9 μmol/ml) along with reduced tumor volume. Moreover, Significant (P < 0.0001) improvements in GSH and MDA (248.6 ± 7.9 μmol/ml) serum biomarkers also found. Histological analysis of the BCFNPs treated group revealed a significant reduction in ductal carcinoma. In conclusion, Bergenia ciliata loaded fibroin nanoparticles have potent potential to treat tumors by targeted drug delivery.

Keywords: Bergenia ciliata; Bergenia ciliata loaded fibroin nanoparticles; Breast cancer; Ductal carcinoma.