Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles as carriers of Polygonum cuspidatum root hydroalcoholic extract: physicochemical, structural, and anticancer properties

In this study, we developed titanium dioxide nanoparticles loaded with polyphenols from a hydroalcoholic extract of Polygonum cuspidatum (TiO2NPs-loaded EPc), and characterized their physicochemical properties, microstructure, and anticancer properties. The TiO2NPs-loaded EPc exhibited a spherical morphology with smooth surfaces and an average particle size from 23.2 to 25.4 nm. In aqueous media, the particle size increased, reaching a mean hydrodynamic diameter of 298.8 and 461 nm with a polydispersity index of 0.320 and 0.574 for TiO2NPs-loaded EPc R2:1 and R1:1, respectively, as determined by dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis. FT-IR and XRD analysis confirmed that incorporation of the ethanolic extract did not alter the functional groups or crystallinity of the TiO2NPs. The TiO2NPs-loaded EPc exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxicity against Caco-2 cells, with IC50 values of 25.8 ± 6.1 µg/ml and 34.3 ± 7.1 µg/ml for TiO2NPs-loaded EPc R1:1 and R2:1, respectively. These findings suggest that TiO2NPs have potential as carriers of bioactive compounds for anticancer treatment.