Nanoparticle-based delivery of corn silk extract for the treatment of CCl₄-induced hepatotoxicity

Liver injury is a significant global health concern that requires effective therapeutic strategies. Corn silk is traditionally recognized for its health-promoting properties due to its rich content of bioactive compounds. This study aimed to develop corn silk extract-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (CSE-CSNPs) via ionic gelation and evaluate their hepatoprotective efficacy against CCl₄-induced liver injury in rats. CSE-CSNPs exhibited favorable physicochemical properties, including a mean size of 59.03 nm and a positive zeta potential of 45.61 mV, with encapsulation efficiency of 73.2% for total phenolics. In vitro assays confirmed the biocompatibility and enhanced antioxidant activity of the nanoformulation. In vivo, treatment with CSE-CSNPs (100 mg/kg/day) for four weeks significantly ameliorated CCl₄-induced liver injury. Serum ALT levels decreased from 84.2 U/L in untreated CCl₄ rats to 49.2 U/L in CSE-CSNPs-treated rats, approaching the control value of 50.6 U/L. Similarly, AST and ALP were reduced from 101.0 U/L and 149.6 U/L to 70.6 U/L and 109.6 U/L, respectively. Oxidative stress markers showed comparable restoration, with hepatic MDA decreasing from 24.0 to 10.6 ng/mg protein, while GSH, SOD, and CAT increased from 55.4 μg/mg protein, 31.2 U/mg protein, and 22.2 U/mg protein to 97.6 μg/mg protein, 55.2 U/mg protein, and 63.4 U/mg protein, respectively- all values comparable to healthy controls. Notably, the nanoformulation achieved superior hepatoprotection at half the dose of free corn silk extract, demonstrating enhanced bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy. These findings highlight the potential of chitosan nanoparticle-mediated delivery as a promising strategy to improve the hepatoprotective activity of corn silk extract.