Development of Phyllanthus emblica Extract-Loaded Niosomes for Cancer Treatment: Formulation and In Vitro Evaluation

Phyllanthus emblica (amla) exhibits anticancer activity, but its extracts often suffer from poor stability and bioavailability. This study developed amla extract-loaded niosomes to enhance delivery and evaluate their anticancer activity against MCF-7 and HCT116 cell lines, supported by in silico analyses. Methodology: Amla extract was prepared using a 50% aqueous-alcoholic solvent system and lyophilized. Niosomes were prepared by the thin-film hydration method and characterized for physicochemical properties. Anticancer activity was evaluated through in vitro cytotoxicity studies, supported by molecular docking and in silico pharmacokinetic analyses. Results: Optimized niosomes exhibited spherical morphology, good homogeneity (PDI < 0.30), anionic surface charge, high entrapment efficiency (70.5 ± 5.9%), and sustained diffusion-controlled release. In vitro cytotoxicity demonstrated a strong concentration-dependent anticancer activity of amla-loaded niosomes across a range of concentrations (31.25-1000 µg/mL) against both MCF-7 and HCT116 cell lines. At 1000 µg/mL, cell viability decreased to 7.0% and 5.4% in MCF-7 and HCT116 cells, respectively, with calculated IC₅₀ values of 245 µg/mL and 158 µg/mL. Molecular docking and pharmacokinetic predictions supported the potential multi-target anticancer relevance of major phytochemicals, including hydrolyzable tannins, phenolic acids, flavonoid aglycones and glycosides, and highlighted bioavailability limitations for certain high-affinity glycosylated flavonoids, reinforcing the rationale for vesicular encapsulation. Conclusions: Amla extract-loaded niosomes represent a promising vesicular system for enhanced, sustained delivery of anticancer activity in vitro, with complementary in silico findings supporting mechanistic plausibility and translational rationale. Further studies are warranted to evaluate their performance in vivo.