Fabrication and characterization of liposomal nanoparticles containing hydroalcoholic extract of Artemisia absintium and its toxicity on MCF-7 breast cancer cell line

Introdution:The use of chemotherapy drugs has side effects and the use of herbal compounds in the treatment of cancer faces challenges. Nanoparticles, especially liposomes, with appropriate properties in drug delivery, such as slow drug release, low toxicity at the target cell site, can solve some of these problems. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to construct a liposomal system containing Artemisia absintium extract and to investigate its toxicity on MCF-7 cell line. Methods: Three liposomal systems containing extracts with different molar percentages of SPC80 and SPC60 along with cholesterol were prepared by thin film method.The most suitable formulation was selected according to the loading percentage and release rate. The release pattern of the extract from the selected formulation, particle size and zeta potential were investigated. Finally, the toxicity of the selected system containing the extract, the free extract and the non-extracted system on the MCF-7 cell line was measured. Results: Extract load, particle size, dispersion index, and zeta potential for the selected formulation are 49.2 ± 0.4%, 121.9 nm, 0.129 and -10.6 mV, respectively. Selected system at similar temperatures to healthy and cancer cells was slow to release. Also, liposome extract was more toxic to MCF-7 cell line than free extract and extract-free liposomes have little toxicity on MCF-7 cell line. Conclusion: The selected liposomal system containing Artemisia absintium extract has a higher toxicity than the free extract on breast cancer cells, which can be due to the appropriate physicochemical properties of the system, including targeted release.