Summary
ancer is a group of hyperproliferative diseases and it constitutes the second important cause of death worldwide. Regrettably, advancement in cancer management by various drugs and technologies has not been as effective as those for other chronic diseases and the mortality rate is in upsurge. Hence there is an urgent need to identify novel chemotherapeutic agents or novel drug delivery systems. The proposed research study targets to reduce the burden of cancer treatments by introducing new modalities and improving patient compliance. Cancer-related research is one of the research priorities that serve the health vision for 2050 in Oman. Research studies are converging towards the use of phytoconstituents because there are well-known effective anticancer molecules from plant sources namely vinblastine, vincristine, podophyllum, etc. Based on the literature data, this study aims to develop a nanophytosome formulation using the phytoconstituents, viz., Boswellic acid, Resveratrol, and Quercetin. Each of these phytoconstituents is expected to display its specific role in the proposed formulation to produce better therapeutic effects. The main component of boswellic acid is AKBA (Acetyl-11-keto-β-boswellic acid) which is a triterpenoid isolated from Boswellia sacra, a medicinal plant native to Oman and is well known for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer potential. Resveratrol a natural phytoconstituent reported being therapeutically effective against colon cancer cell lines. Each of these phytoconstituents possesses some pharmacokinetic shortcomings, especially bioavailability. Novel drug delivery scientists are employing the strategy and technology of enhancement by using natural bio enhancers like Piperine, Garlic, Naringin, and Quercetin to improve the bioavailability and bioefficacy of phytoconstituents. Quercetin exhibited promising results in altering and improving the bioavailability of many conventional drugs. Henceforth, we are proposing a dual phytochemical (Resveratrol and Boswellic acid) loaded nanophytosome combination therapy using quercetin as a bio enhancer, with a hope that it will significantly overcome the limitations of these phytoconstituents including low bioavailability and lack of cancer cell targeting (selectivity). Furthermore, this formulation is also predicted to prevent intestinal and hepatic metabolism of these two active leads and might help in improving the physiological compliance for human well-being with fewer side effects.
Objectives
- The primary objectives of the proposed study are:
- To perform in-silico ADME/T modeling for selected phytochemicals and their complexes
- To develop nanophytosome formulation of Resveratrol/Boswellic acid using Quercetin as a bio-enhancer
- To evaluate and optimize the in-vitro characteristics of the developed nanophytosomes
- To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of the developed formulation using in-vitro and in-vivo studies
Funding Agency
MOHERI
Collaboration
Collaborator 1: Sultan Qaboos University, Oman
Collaborator 2: Jamia Hamdard Universit, India
Collaborator 3: AIMST University, Malaysia