Glycyrrhizin Conjugated Dendrimer and Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes for Liver Specific Delivery of Doxorubicin

Abstract

The purpose of the present investigation was to investigate the drug targeting potential of glycyrrhizin (GL) conjugated dendrimers (GL-PPI) and multi walled carbon nanotubes (GL-MWCNTs) towards liver targeting of a model anti-cancer agent, doxorubicin (DOX). The synthesis was confirmed by FTIR, 1H-NMR and morphology analysis. Higher DOX loading was observed in case of GL-PPI-DOX and GL-MWCNT-DOX (43.02 ± 0.64% and 87.26 0.57%, respectively) than parent nanocarriers. GL attachment considerably reduced the haemolytic toxicity of DOX by 12.38 ± 1.05 and 7.30 ± 0.63% by GL-PPI-DOX and GL-MWCNT-DOX, respectively. MTT cytotoxicity studies, flow cytometry and cell morphology assessment was done in HepG2 cell. The IC50 of DOX was reduced from 4.19±0.05 µM to 2.0±0.01 and 2.7±0.03 µM, respectively by GL-PPI-DOX and GL-MWCNT-DOX, respectively. Flow cytometry and phase contrast microscopy confirmed GL conjugated formulations to be significantly dragging higher cancer cell number of cells in early apoptosis as well as in early apoptotic phase.