Enhancing Anticancer Efficacy of Formononetin Microspheres via Microfluidic Fabrication

Formononetin is a flavonoid compound with anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory properties. However, its low solubility limits its clinical use. We employed microfluidic technology to prepare formononetin-loaded PLGA-PEGDA microspheres (Degradable polymer PLGA, Crosslinking agent PEGDA), which can encapsulate and release drugs in a controlled manner. We optimized and characterized the microspheres, and evaluated their antitumor effects. The microspheres had uniform size, high drug loading efficiency, high encapsulation efficiency, and stable release for 35 days. They also inhibited the proliferation, migration, and apoptosis. The antitumor mechanism involved the induction of reactive oxygen species and modulation of Bcl-2 family proteins. These findings suggested that formononetin-loaded PLGA-PEGDA microspheres, created using microfluidic technology, could be a novel drug delivery system that can overcome the limitations of formononetin and enhance its antitumor activity.