Preparation of allyl isothiocyanate nanoparticles, their anti-inflammatory activity towards RAW 264.7 macrophage cells and anti-proliferative effect on HT1376 bladder cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), a volatile and water-insoluble compound present in several cruciferous vegetables, has been shown to possess several biological activities such as anti-bacteria, anti-fungi and anti-cancer. In this study, water-soluble allyl isothiocyanate nanoparticles (AITC-NPs) were prepared by O/W microemulsion and complex coacervation techniques and evaluated for their anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects on human bladder cancer cell HT1376.

RESULTS: The AITC-NPs with a particle size of 9.4 nm were stable during heating up to 110°C or 3 freeze-thawing cycles. No significant cytotoxicity was shown on both Caco-2 and intestine epithelial IEC-6 cells at AITC-NPs dose ranging from 0.25-2 g/L (8.75-70 mg/L AITC). However, at 2 g/L dosage, AITC-NPs could inhibit the growth of human bladder cancer cells HT1376 by 90%, while a low dosage of 0.25 g/L could inhibit the migration ability by 83.7, 71.3, 58.4 and 31.4% after 4, 8, 12 and 24 h of incubation, respectively. Compared to AITC and NPs, AITC-NPs showed a better inhibition on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced TNF-α, IL-6, NO and iNOS production in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells.

CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate the potential of AITC-NPs as a therapeutic agent for treatment of bladder cancer and enhancement of immune function. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.