Fluorescent Microorganism-Based Composite: Enhancing Curcumin Delivery Efficiency and its Antitumor Application in Prostate Cancer.

Abstract

Prostate cancer is a major global health concern, ranking as the second most common malignancy in men and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Although curcumin exhibits potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor properties, its clinical application is limited by poor solubility, low bioavailability, and rapid metabolism. In this study, we developed a microorganism-metal-organic framework (MOF)-based carrier (1-CP1) by combining a novel Zn(II) coordination polymer, [Zn(Hbcb)(PYTPY)] (1), with CP1. The carrier, loaded with curcumin to form 1-CP1@Curcumin, significantly enhanced the solubility, bioavailability, and stability of curcumin. Fluorescence assays revealed that the composite demonstrated a fluorescence emission peak at 511 nm, with a strong response to Fe³⁺ ions, showing a quenching efficiency of over 95%. In vitro experiments on LNCaP prostate cancer cells showed that 1-CP1@Curcumin significantly inhibited cell viability, with a reduction of approximately 50% at 20 µM curcumin concentration after 48 h of treatment. Additionally, quantitative PCR analysis of apoptosis-related gene expression revealed a significant decrease in Bcl-2 mRNA levels, indicating that the composite induced apoptosis in prostate cancer cells. These results highlight that 1-CP1@Curcumin effectively overcomes curcumin's delivery limitations and offers strong antitumor efficacy, providing an innovative platform for potential clinical applications in prostate cancer therapy.