Efeitos do nanoencapsulamento de extratos de plantas medicinais no cultivo de células cancerígenas

Abstract

Cancer is a large group of diseases that are widespread and have become the second leading cause of death in the world in addition to being an important public health problem. One of the triggering factors for cancer are free radicals formed by the body which, under conditions of imbalance, trigger oxidative stress. Various studies have proven the efficiency of natural compounds extracted from plants, with antioxidant action. One of the ways to evaluate the action of medicinal plants is through cell cultivation where it is possible to verify their antiproliferative and cytotoxic activities. The nanotechnology used in research integrates technological advances associated with cancer diagnosis and therapy, enabling the use of nanoparticles as phytochemical formulations. The crude extracts of the plants Bryophyllum daigremontianum and Momordica charantia bring together exceptional antioxidant characteristics. In this work, the free radical scavenging potential of crude extracts of these plants was evaluated using the DPPH test, where the action of Momordica charantia obtained is dose dependent while that of Bryophyllum daigremontianum is inversely proportional. Tests were also carried out to evaluate total phenolic compounds, total antioxidant compounds and total flavones/flavonoids from these plants. The results showed a high antioxidant potential compared to reference standards. In vitro tests were also carried out on these extracts to evaluate their cytotoxic capacity and the results were satisfactory. Furthermore, the efficacy of these extracts nanoencapsulated in chitosan nanoparticles was also evaluated and there wassynergy between these compounds. The results obtained by this work allow for a better understanding and safe application of nanotechnology associated with herbal medicines in precision oncology therapy.