Folic Acid Functionalized Diallyl Trisulfide–Solid Lipid Nanoparticles for Targeting Triple Negative Breast Cancer

Abstract

DATS (diallyl trisulfide), an anti-oxidant and cytotoxic chemical derived from the plant garlic, has been found to have potential therapeutic activity against triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Its hydrophobicity, short half-life, lack of target selectivity, and limited bioavailability at the tumor site limit its efficacy in treating TNBC. Overexpression of the Folate receptor on the surface of TNBC is a well-known target receptor for overcoming off-targeting, and lipid nanoparticles solve the limitations of limited bioavailability and short half-life. In order to overcome these constraints, we developed folic acid (FA)-conjugated DATS-SLNs in this research. The design of experiment (DoE) method was employed to optimize the FA-DATS-SLNs’ nanoformulation, which resulted in a particle size of 168.2 ± 3.78 nm and a DATS entrapment of 71.91 ± 6.27%. The similarity index between MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines demonstrates that FA-DATS-SLNs are more therapeutically efficacious in the treatment of aggravating TNBC. Higher cellular internalization and efficient Bcl2 protein downregulation support the hypothesis that functionalization of the FA on the surface of DATS-SLNs improves anticancer efficacy when compared with DATS and DATS-SLNs. FA-functionalized DATS-SLNs have demonstrated to be a promising therapeutic strategy for TNBC management.