In Vitro Evaluation of the Safety and Antineoplastic Effects in Gastrointestinal Tumors of Nanostructured Lipid Carriers Loaded with Berberine

Background/Objectives: Natural substances have been a widely studied source of both pharmaceutical excipients and drugs. Berberine (BRB) is a benzylisoquinoline alkaloid isolated from different plant sources. It possesses various pharmacological properties including antibacterial, antitumor, antidiabetic, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, etc. However, the limited aqueous solubility hinders its application. Nanosized drug delivery systems are an innovative approach for addressing various challenges regarding drug delivery via different routes of administration. Their utilization could improve the solubility of active constituents. Methods: A melt-emulsification and ultrasonication technique was applied for the preparation of nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs). They were thoroughly physicochemically characterized by the means of Dynamic Light Scattering, TEM, FTIR, DSC, TGA, and In Vitro release. The In Vitro efficacy and safety were evaluated on cholangiocarcinoma, colorectal adenocarcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, lymphoma, fibroblast, and cardioblast cells, as well as rat liver microsomes by means of cytotoxicity assays and the comet assay. Results: The obtained nanoparticles had a spherical shape and size around 158.2 +/- 1.8 nm with negative zeta potential. They revealed successful drug loading and improved dissolution of berberine in physiological conditions. The In Vitro safety studies showed that loading BRB in NLCs resulted in improved or retained cytotoxicity to tumor cell lines and reduced cytotoxicity to normal cell lines and liver microsomes. The NLC itself increased microsomal malondialdehyde (MDA) and comet formation. Conclusions: A successful preparation of NLCs with berberine is presented. The nanocarriers show favorable physicochemical and biopharmaceutical properties. The cellular experiments show that the NLC loading of berberine could improve its anticancer efficacy and safety. These findings highlight the potential applicability of berberine in gastrointestinal neoplasms and build the foundation for future practical translation.