Enhanced in vitro anticancer activity of liposome-encapsulated nanocordycepin in breast and cervical cancer cells

Cordycepin, a natural compound extracted from the fungus Cordyceps militaris, is a 3-deoxyadenosine and a key active ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine exhibiting promising anticancer properties. However, due to its poor bioavailability and short half-life, the usage of Cordycepin is limited clinically. To overcome these limitations, a liposome-based nanoformulation of cordycepin (CorLNP) is developed using thin-film hydration method. The physio-chemical properties of CorLNP revealed that, the particles are spherical in shape, the presence of functional groups is -OH and C = C groups, and these are playing major role in the formation CorLNP and maintaining the stability of the CorLNP. The entrapment efficiency of CorLNP 72% and drug loading capacity was 3.4%. The in vitro cytotoxicity and the apoptosis effect of the Cordycepin loaded liposome-based nano particles (CorLNP) and Cordycepin alone were assessed in human breast and cervical cancer cell lines. The CorLNP exhibited better cytotoxicity with greater fold-change both in MCF-7 and HeLa cell lines in a time dependant manner. These findings highlighted the incorporation of cordycepin into liposomal nanoparticles enhanced the bioavailability of cordycepin and significantly improved its anticancer efficacy.