Formulation and Assessment of Broccoli Extract-Infused Hydrogel for Targeted Breast Cancer Therapy

The most prevalent kind of cancer among women is breast cancer. Consequently, the development of novel, potent medications with fewer adverse effects is required to treat it. Breast cancer is frequently treated clinically with chemotherapy and surgery. However, there are still significant challenges to be addressed in the treatment of breast cancer, including inadequate therapeutic results, inevitable side effects, and the surgical excision of breast tissue. The objective of the study is to develop broccoli extract-based Hydrogel to overcome the challenges in breast cancer treatment.

The developed Hydrogel was characterized by certain techniques to check its stability and drug release abilities. Swelling studies and drug release behavior were checked; the porosity of Hydrogel was checked by SEM EDX Analysis. Furthermore, in vitro studies were done to check the anti-breast cancer activity of the developed Hydrogel.

The hydrogel was a highly porous structure with and compressive modulus, which makes it good for biological use in drug delivery. The in vitro studies showed that, developed Hydrogel inhibits the growth of breast cancer cells (MCF-7) at different concentrations and time intervals of 24 and 48 Hrs and was compatible with the non-cancerous cell line 3T3-L1. The results indicate the tolerability of Hydrogel at the level of cells.

Numerous investigations have demonstrated the anticancer effects of SFN by influencing the various biological processes that tumor cells engage in. In breast cancer cell lines, SFN functions as an HDAC inhibitor and reduces the expression of ER, EGFR, & HER-2 proteins. SFN also triggers apoptosis and cell cycle halt. Both Hydrogel and SFN inhibit the cells growth in MCF-7 breast cancer cells and agree with the previous studies.

In conclusion, we synthesized a hydrogel using broccoli extract to treat breast cancer with better stability, tolerance, and effectiveness through sustained local drug delivery. It was determined that this new hydrogel was a simple and affordable way to accomplish the continuous gene release feature, which would enhance the therapeutic efficacy in anti-cancer treatment while reducing the likelihood of potentially fatal side effects.