(W1130-08-49) Liposomal Co-delivery of Luteolin and Piperine for Enhanced Lung Cancer Cell Death: In Vitro Characterization and Anticancer Activity

Purpose: The aim of this study is to develop a liposomal delivery system incorporating two natural compounds, Luteolin (LT) and Piperine (PIP) and evaluate their anticancer activity on lung cancer cell line. The developed liposome is expected to improve the overall therapeutic efficacy and present a platform for the delivery of anticancer drugs

Methods: Liposomal formulations were prepared using the solvent evaporation method with various non-ionic surfactants. The formulations were characterized for particle size (PS), polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential (ZP), morphology (TEM), encapsulation efficiency (EE), and chemical interactions (FTIR). Drug release kinetics were evaluated using different models. The anticancer activity of the liposome was tested on A549 lung cancer cells using MTT assay.

Results: The liposomes exhibited nanoscale size of 183 ± 4.8 to 198 ± 5.3 nm, low PDI ( < 0.02) and a negative ZP of −17.8 ± 3.1 to −23 ± 2.7 mV. The encapsulation efficiencies were 79.1 ± 3.1% and 83.3 ± 3.2% for LT and PIP, respectively. Sustained drug release was observed, with cumulative releases of 61.2± 2.9% and 73.6 ± 3.7% for LT and PIP, respectively. As shown in Figure 1, the co-loaded liposomes reduced cell viability significantly in A549 cells, with IC50 values of 3.12 µM and 12.5 µM for LT and PIP, respectively

Conclusion: Co-loading LT and PIP into liposomes offers a promising strategy for lung cancer treatment by  enabling sustained drug release and exhibiting a strong anticancer activity in vitro. These results warrant further in vivo investigation.

Figure 1: Evaluation of in vitro anticancer activity using MTT assay. A549 cells were incubated with various dilutions (2, 4, 8, 16) of LT and PIP co-loaded liposomes, free drug (LT and PIP) and drug free liposomes for 24 h at 37 °C. Data are expressed as mean ± SD (n ≥ 3). * p < 0.01 vs. free drug.