Formulation, nanonisation, and characterization of <i>Polyrhachis</i> sp. for enhanced anticancer potential: In vitro studies

Abstract

Nanotechnology is a practical and exquisite method for enhancing the bioavailability of insect medicines. The present work deals with nano-encapsulation of freeze-dried Polyrhachis sp. (Pol) to increase its aqueous solubility and bioactivity. In the current study, Polyrhachis sp. was encapsulated into carbonate calcium (CaCO3) through a one-step co-precipitation method to produce CaCO3@Pol nanoparticles (NPs). It was characterized accordingly by FTIR, FESEM, DLS, and zeta potential analysis methods. Null CaCO3 and CaCO3@Pol particle sizes were observed in the nano range, and most of the nanoparticles had spherical shapes. The cytotoxicity evaluation of neat Pol and CaCO3@Pol was performed in vitro on human breast cancer cells (MCF7) and human gastric cancer cells (AGS) through an MTT assay. Morphological alternation studies disclosed that CaCO3@Pol-treated cells had undergone apoptosis since shrinkage and apoptotic bodies were observed. The half-maximal inhibitory and 50 lethal dose of neat Pol and CaCO3@Pol were calculated. Besides, the RT-PCR technique analyzed the status of apoptosis genes such as caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, Bcl-2, and Bax expressions. The molecular mechanisms provoked apoptosis through modulating pro (caspase-8, caspase-9, Bax) and anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2) mediator genes expression in AGS cells. The findings conveyed that the CaCO3@Pol is a promising biomaterial for future biomedical applications.