Aluminum phthalocyanine chloride loaded poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles based photodynamic therapy for...

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) and antibacterial Photodynamic therapy (aPDT) have become a viable non-invasive treatment against cancer and bacterial infections. By using light-activated photosensitizers (PS), PDT effectively destroys cancer cells and pathogenic bacteria. However, many PS agents, such as Aluminum Phthalocyanine chloride (AlPc), face limitations like poor solubility and low bioavailability. To overcome these challenges, AlPc-loaded PLGA nanoparticles (AlPc NPs) have been synthesized, where PS is encapsulated in Poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) to enhance drug delivery and therapeutic efficacy. PLGA was selected for its well-established biomedical applications, including targeted drug delivery and antibacterial activity. This study focuses on synthesizing 200 nm AlPc NPs by using the single emulsion solvent evaporation method and characterizing them via spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. This study demonstrates that AlPc NPs' encapsulation efficiency is 82 % and drug loading efficiency is 10 %. The drug release profile shows 52 % release of AlPc NPs within 24 h. Cellular uptake of free AlPc and AlPc NPs was examined using confocal fluorescence imaging. The in vitro investigation used Hep-2C human laryngeal cancer cells to assess the dark and phototoxic effects of free AlPc and AlPc NPs for PDT. MTT results show that the cells treated with AlPc NPs had lower cell viability than cells treated with free AlPc at the same drug doses, which confirms improved efficacy of AlPc NPs. Moreover, AlPc NPs improved the antibacterial potential against the Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacterial strain and increased their bioavailability.