Hybrid Albumin-Decorated Lipid-Nanocarrier-Mediated Delivery of Polyphenol-Rich Sambucus nigra L. in a Potential Multiple Antitumoural Therapy.

The current research attempted to address the suitability of bioactive Sambucus nigra extract entrapped in albumin-decorated nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) as a promising "adjuvant" in improving tumour penetration for multiple antitumour therapy. The new hybrid albumin-decorated NLCs were characterised based on, e.g., the particle size, zeta electrokinetic potential, SambucusN entrapment efficiency, and fluorescence spectroscopy and tested for different formulation parameters. The antioxidant activity of NLC-SambucusN was significantly enhanced by a bovine serum albumin (BSA) polymer coating. According to the real-time cell analysis (RTCA) results, NLC-I–SambucusN–BSA behaved similarly to the chemotherapeutic drug, cisplatin, with cell viability for LoVo tumour cells of 21.81 ± 1.18%. The new albumin–NLC–SambucusN arrested cancer cells in G1 and G2 cycles and intensified the apoptosis process in both early and late phases. An advanced induction, over 50% apoptosis in LoVo colon cells, was registered for 50 μg/mL of NLC-II-SambucusN-BSA, a fourfold increase compared to that of untreated cells. RTCA and flow cytometry results showed that concentrations of the hybrid NLC–SambucusN up to 50 μg/mL do not affect the proliferation of normal HUVEC cells. This approach provides insightful information regarding the involvement of phytochemicals in future therapeutic strategies. Albumin-decorated NLCs can be considered a noteworthy strategy to be connected to antitumour therapeutic protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]