Site-specific delivery of pectin-stabilized gold nanoparticles for liver: An in vivo evaluation with Doxorubicin

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common (80–85%) form of liver cancer. Doxorubicin (DOX) is a well-known highly potent anti-cancer drug but still lags due to its formulation, stability issues and other physicochemical properties leading to suboptimal performance. The use of gold nanoparticles as a drug delivery system has become one of the most promising strategies, especially in areas like cancer therapy where targeted and controlled drug release is crucial. We have developed an advanced gold nanoparticle (GNP) system using natural polysaccharide (Pectin). The dual functionality of pectin works as a stabilizer for GNP and also ensures liver-specific drug delivery via Asialoglycoprotein (ASGP) receptors expressed on the surface of liver cells. The present study aims to synthesize, characterize and explore the potential of pectin-stabilized gold nanoparticles (P-GNP) using DOX for liver targeting (in vivo). The P-GNP-DOX hydrodynamic diameter was 99.80±2.21 nm, which was further corroborated by AFM. UV–visible spectroscopy indicated molecular interactions between DOX and P-GNP through characteristic red-shifts in the surface plasmon resonance band. Electrostatic interaction was also evidenced by FT-IR and 1H NMR. The P-GNP-DOX demonstrated prolonged in vitro drug release and better stability profile in physiological conditions compared to its commercially available Doxotero® Injection. The targeting efficiency of the P-GNP-DOX was evaluated in preclinical (living animal) studies using a non-invasive in vivo imaging system. The P-GNP-DOX showed better liver targeting potential compared to the DOX alone. It is the first preclinical in vivo study of pectin-stabilized gold nanoparticles and results indicate that it could be a promising platform for the liver targeting.