Evaluation of the cytotoxicity of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Loaded with Gallic Acid on laryngeal cancer (HEP-2) cell lines

Gallic acid (GA), is a polyphenolic compound exceptionally well absorbed compared with other polyphenols, and it has many biological and pharmacological activities, it is renowned for its antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles (MSNs) of varied sizes, produced with variable amounts of NH3OH, are used in this study to deliver GA intracellularly and explore its cytotoxicity to specifically target laryngeal cancer cells (HEP-2), these MSNs were loaded with GA. The GA-loaded MSNs were characterized using Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) analysis and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The encapsulation efficiency of GA within the MSNs was determined using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The cytotoxicity of both the MSNs and GA-loaded MSNs was evaluated at concentrations ranging from 4.5 to 10000 µg/ml using the MTT assay over 72 hours on HEP-2 cells. Our findings revealed that MSN sizes increased as a result of NH3OH-increased MSNs. The viability of HEP-2 cells was seen to decrease at high concentrations of MSNs and MSN-GA and increase at low concentrations., particularly the smaller MSN1, demonstrated high encapsulation efficiency for GA and lower toxicity than MSN2 and MSN3. This underscores the potential of small MSNs to enhance drug delivery without inducing cellular damage. Notably, the structural integrity of GA was maintained upon encapsulation within the MSN pores. GA-loaded MSN2 and MSN3 demonstrated comparable anticancer efficacy to free GA, and following intracellular uptake, the GA-loaded MSNs could release GA into the cells. In conclusion, due to their small size and high encapsulation efficiency, MSNs emerge as ideal nanocarriers for GA delivery. The cellular uptake of GA-loaded MSNs was studied by MTT test and results showed their high biocompatibility This presents a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of HEP-2 human laryngeal carcinoma cells, leveraging the natural antioxidant properties of GA..