Polymeric nanocapsular baicalin: Chemometric optimization, physicochemical characterization and mechanistic anticancer approaches on breast cancer cell lines

The study investigated the use of polymeric nanocapsules to enhance the delivery and anticancer properties of baicalin, a flavonoid with known anticancer effects but limited by low solubility and bioavailability. The nanocapsules were characterized using chemometric analysis and tested on two breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231. Results indicated that the nanocapsules significantly increased baicalin's anticancer activity, up to 216 times for MCF-7 cells and 31 times for MDA-MB-231 cells after 24 hours. The nanocapsules were effectively internalized by the cells within 4 hours, and apoptosis was identified as the primary mechanism of cell death, with notable up-regulation of the P53 biomarker. These findings suggested that baicalin nanocapsules could be a promising approach for breast cancer treatment, warranting further preclinical studies.