In vitro anticancer efficacy of silibinin-loaded PLGA nanofibers against A549 non-small-cell lung cancer cells

: In recent years, amount of evidence suggests that silibinin (SLB), an active constituent isolated from the seeds of Silybum marianum, possesses pleiotropic anticancer effects in different cancers. In this study, poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) polymer was used to fabricate SLB containing nanofibers (NFs) by the electrospinning method. The NFs were characterized by their unique morphological features, degradation rate, and drug release profile. The cytotoxic effects, production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the gene expression of apoptotic proteins were investigated in A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells and normal human lung epithelial cell line (BEAS-2B cells) treated with free SLB and SLB-loaded PLGA NFs. The results indicated that both free SLB and SLB-loaded NFs had no effect on BEAS-2B cells, but were cytotoxic against A549 cells, increasing intracellular ROS levels in cancer cells. In addition, both agents induced the gene expression of apoptotic proteins, and the SLB-loaded NFs acted more efficiently than the free SLB. With further study, hence, the SLB-loaded NFs could be potentially used as an anti-cancer agent against human lung adenocarcinoma.