Assessment of Biological Potential of Cinnamon-Coated Silica Nanoparticles in Combination with Doxorubicin

Abstract

Naturopathy offers a conventional treatment approach utilizing plant extracts either alone or in combination with therapeutic drugs. Significant progress has been made in the field of nanomedicine, bringing about a revolution in the global pharmaceutical industry. Nanoparticles, with their ability to deliver drug to specific target sites, have gained attention for increasing drug bioavailability and minimizing side effects. In the present study, we evaluated the biological potential of cinnamon-loaded Mesoporous Silica-based Nanoparticles (MSNPs) alone and in combination with the chemotherapeutic drug doxorubicin, carrying out both in vitro and in vivo assays. Nanomedicine formation was confirmed using different techniques like FTIR, UV/Vis and XRD. Toxic effects of nanomedicine alone and in combination were evaluated using Brine Shrimp cytotoxicity assay. Antioxidant potential of nanomedicine was evaluated using total antioxidant assay, total reducing power assay, while free radical scavenging potential was evaluated by DPPH assay. In vivo assays were also performed including anticoagulant, antidepressant and analgesic assays. Brine shrimp assay results demonstrated that cinnamon didn’t show any significant cytotoxicity. The comparison with the controls of antioxidant assays illustrated that antioxidant capacity of nanomedicine was significantly enhanced when used in higher concentrations. Likewise, notable anticoagulant potential was observed during in vivo analysis which correlated directly with dosage concentration. Same pattern was observed when nanomedicine was administered to anti-depressant and analgesic models which indicate the potential of cinnamon and cinnamon-loaded MSNPs as valuable therapeutic agents for a wide range of diseases