Folic acid conjugated bovine serum albumin: An efficient smart and tumor targeted biomacromolecule for inhibition folate receptor positive cancer cells

This work described a folic acid conjugated delivery of chrysin-loaded bovine serum albumin nanoparticles, which could overcome the nonspecific targeting disadvantage. Chrysin (5, 7-dihydroxyflavone) is a natural flavonoid which have some significant biological effects on the processes of chemical defense. Chrysin loaded bovine serum albumin nanoparticles (Chrysin-BSA NPs) were synthesized by a simple desolvation procedure. Afterward, folic acid (FA) was conjugated to the surface of Chrysin-BSA NPs by carbodiimide chemistry (Chrysin-BSA-FA NPs). The resultant Chrysin-BSA-FA NPs showed a spherical shape, with a hydrodynamic diameter of 97.5 ± 5.8 nm (mean ± SD) nm and a ζ-potential of -11.3 mV. The in vitro drug release study of chrysin presented a sustained and controlled release pattern. Hemolysis assay and cytotoxicity study results on HFF-2 cell line show that as prepared BSA NPs are biocompatible. Both the Chrysin-BSA NPs and Chrysin-BSA-FA NPs prompted an enhanced cancer cell cytotoxic effect in contrast to chrysin solution. These data recommended that the folate-modified chrysin -loaded vehicle, which demonstrated better biocompatibility and potential superiority, could be a suitable cancer therapy in targeting tumors in the future.