Development of palmatine chloride-loaded chitosan nanoparticles for enhanced and safe cervical cancer therapy

Cervical cancer remains a significant global health issue, highlighting the need for novel drug delivery strategies to improve the efficacy of anticancer agents against it. In this study, palmatine chloride-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (PC-CSNPs) were developed via ionic gelation as biocompatible nanocarriers for cervical cancer therapy. The physical properties of PCNPs were characterized using SEM, FTIR, XRD, and DLS, revealing a spherical morphology and average particle sizes of 55 nm (chitosan) and 58 nm (PCNPs).FTIR and XRD confirmed successful drug encapsulation and an amorphous structure of the nanoparticles. Drug loading and encapsulation efficiencies increased in a dose-dependent manner, with maximum encapsulation (80.2 %) at 40 μg and enhanced retention at acidic pH. PCNPs exhibited notable antioxidant activity, with peak efficacy at 100 μg/mL. Antimicrobial activity was most pronounced against Streptococcus pneumoniae (1.9 mm zone at 75 μg/mL concentration).In vitro anticancer studies on HeLa cells revealed strong cytotoxicity, with an IC₅₀ of 26.057 ± 0.56 μg/mL. AO/EtBr dual staining, reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection, and Hoechst staining were confirmed dose-dependent apoptosis, oxidative stress, and nuclear condensation, respectively. Zebrafish assays revealed developmental abnormalities and mortality at higher concentrations, while AO and DPPP staining indicated increased apoptosis and lipid peroxidation. Overall, PCNPs demonstrated promising potential as a targeted and efficient drug delivery platform for cervical cancer therapy. However, dosage optimization remains critical to ensure their safety and effectiveness in biomedical applications.