Protein-based polymeric
micelles are proven as effective colloidal
drug carriers due to a high
drug loading efficiency, sustained release, biocompatibility, and ease of permeation into the cell.
Gelatin-based polymeric
micelles find applications in treating rare cancerous cells like
triple negative breast cancer cells (TNBC), which do not overexpress receptors on its surface. In the present work, we have modified the hydrophilic nature of
gelatin into amphiphilic by conjugating with
oleylamine using
genipin as a cross-linking agent. Owing to amphiphilicity,
gelatin-
oleylamine conjugate (GOC) self-assembles to form
micelles in the aqueous medium. NMR, FTIR, and UV-vis characterizations were used to identify cross-linkage between
gelatin and
oleylamine, while the results of DLS, confocal, and TEM confirmed aggregation of GOC monomers into
micelles. Fluorescence measurement has revealed that the critical micellar concentration of GOC was 0.04 ± 0.01 mg/mL. According to DLS measurements, hydrodynamic size, ΞΆ potential, and polydispersity index of GOC
micelles were 230.6 ± 0.4 d. nm, -23.4 ± 0.2 mV, and 0.175 ± 0.008, respectively, proving its colloidal stability in
solution at pH 7.4.
Catechin was taken as a model
antioxidant drug, and
drug encapsulation efficiency of GOC
micelle was determined to be 62 ± 3%. The cytotoxicity, fluorescent cell imaging, and flow cytometry analyses revealed that TNBC-type cells (MDA-MB-231) internalized
drug-bound GOC nanocarriers (CT-GOC) and were involved in cell cycle arrest through G2/M phase-inducing cellular apoptosis. Further, CT-GOC exhibited a higher cellular toxicity to MDA-MB-231 cancerous cells but not in normal cells (NIH-3T3). The overall outcomes of physicochemical and
biological measurements suggest that the prepared GOC
micelles might be a promising
drug carrier for novel
anticancer agents in TNBC
chemotherapy.