Light-responsive liposome as a smart vehicle for the delivery of anticancer herbal medicine to skin

Abstract

Sunlight is composed of various wavelengths, including visible light, ultraviolet (UV) rays, and infrared radiation that serves as a double-edged sword for humans via providing the energy for sustaining life on Earth and also acting as a source of hazardous UV radiation. The skin, as the largest protective part of the body, is exposed to sunlight daily, making it critical to protect this organ from its harmful effects. Accordingly, this research aims to fabricate a new type of light-responsive liposome to deliver herbal medicine as protective compounds with antioxidant and anticancer properties. The light-responsive part of this liposome has the capability of cleavage after exposure to UV-A light (the main UV-parts of sunlight) and improves drug release pattern. In detail, a light-responsive compound was fabricated at first and then was used along with phospholipids and curcumin (a type of herbal drug)-loaded cyclodextrin for the fabrication of liposomes using the thin-film hydration method. The physicochemical analysis confirmed the fabrication of spherical liposomes approximately 145 nm in size, which released around 62% of the therapeutic cargo over 120 h when exposed to UV irradiation. Besides, it showed anticancer ability (against melanoma cancer cells) while having a protecting effect for the normal cell line. Therefore, it could be a candidate for further application in skin-protecting products like wound healing compounds or anticancer usage.