Novel protocatechuic acid encapsulated bovine serum albumin functionalized folic acid nanoparticles for targeted therapy in urethane-induced lung cancer model.

ABSTRACT: Lung cancer mortality rates are rising globally, increasing the need for innovative, natural compounds with fewer side effects. Protocatechuic acid (PCA) is a natural phenolic compound with cytotoxic effects against human lung cancer cells, but its poor water solubility limits its use. We hypothesized that encapsulating PCA within bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanoparticles would enhance its solubility compared to previous PCA-loaded-nanocarriers. So, we encapsulated PCA within BSA-nanoparticles conjugated with folic acid (FA) and evaluated its targeting efficacy in lung cancer cell line and lung cancer mouse model. The resulting nanocomposite (PCA-BSA@FA-NPs) had a 229 nm size. Our in vitro study indicated that PCA-BSA@FA-NPs demonstrated a 92.03% reduction in toxicity compared to doxorubici

SUBMITTER: Ibrahim AI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12267497 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature