Citral-Loaded Self Nano-Emulsifying Drug Delivery System Suppresses Metastasis and Enhances Apoptosis in SW620 Colon Cancer Cells.

INTRODUCTION

The global incidence of colon cancer is rising, highlighting the need for complementary therapeutic approaches using natural products such as citral. A self-nano-emulsifying drug delivery system incorporated with citral (CIT-SNEDDS) was formulated, and prior studies have demonstrated its potent antiproliferative effects on colon cancer cell lines.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

The apoptosis-inducing ability of CIT-SNEDDS treatment on SW620 cells was evaluated using Acridine Orange/Propidium Iodide (AO/PI) assay, Annexin V-FITC assay, and cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry. Scratch assay and migration, and invasion assays were performed to assess its anti-metastatic effects.

RESULTS

The cytotoxicity assay results showed that SNEDDS with citral (CIT-SNEDDS) significantly reduced cell viability in a dose-dependent manner compared to free citral and SNEDDS without citral. Acridine orange/propidium iodide staining and Annexin V assay results confirmed apoptosis in CIT-SNEDDS-treated cells. Cell cycle analysis indicated that CIT-SNEDDS induced arrest at the S and G2/M phases, which may contribute to apoptosis initiation. The scratch and trans-well assays demonstrated a reduction in SW620 cell migration and invasion capabilities following CIT-SNEDDS treatment, suggesting a potent anti-metastatic effect.

DISCUSSION: The ability of CIT-SNEDDS to induce apoptosis, disrupt the cell cycle, and inhibit cellular migration in cancer cells aligns with the goals of targeted cancer therapies, which aim to selectively eradicate cancer cells while minimizing effects on healthy tissue.

CONCLUSION

These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of CIT-SNEDDS for enhancing the efficacy of citral as an anti-tumor and antimetastatic agent for colorectal cancer, warranting further in vivo and preclinical studies to optimize its application.