Nanoliposomal formulation of pistachio hull extract: preparation, characterization and anti-cancer evaluation through Bax/Bcl2 modulation

• Published in: Molecular biology reports 2022-04, Vol.49 (4), p.2735-2743
• Main Authors: Harandi, Hamidreza, Falahati-pour, Soudeh Khanamani, Mahmoodi, Mehdi, Faramarz, Sanaz, Maleki, Haniyeh, Nasab, Fatemeh Bagheri, Shiri, Hamidreza, Fooladi, Saba, Nematollahi, Mohammad Hadi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal Anatomy; Animal Biochemistry; Antitumor agents; Apoptosis; Bcl-2 protein; bcl-2-Associated X Protein - genetics; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cancer; Flow cytometry; Food processing industry wastes; Histology; Humans; Life Sciences; Liposomes; Liver cancer; Liver Neoplasms - drug therapy; Mitochondria; Morphology; Original Article; p53 Protein; Pistacia; Pistacia - chemistry; Plant extracts; Plant Extracts - chemistry; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Polymerase chain reaction; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 - genetics; Surface charge
• ISSN: 0301-4851; 1573-4978
• DOI: 10.1007/s11033-021-07083-5

Background Pistachio is one of the main crops in Iran. Pistachio green hull, as a by-product of this fruit, is obtained in large quantities after the processing of pistachios. This novel work was designed to examine the possible anti-cancer impact of the pistachio hull extract in the liposomal form (PHEL) on HepG2 cells. Methods and results The thin-film hydration approach was used for preparing liposomes and the physicochemical features of the liposomes were subsequently characterized. Afterward, apoptosis and the expression of genes related to apoptosis were assessed using flow cytometry assay and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), respectively. According to the results, the size range of PHEL was between 198 and 201 nm with a negative surface charge of − 39.2 to − 42.9 mV. As revealed by the flow cytometry results, this liposomal extract exhibits good potential for the induction of apoptosis. Moreover, the qPCR results demonstrated the up-regulation of p53 and Bax expressions and the down-regulation of Bcl-2 expression with an associated Bax/Bcl-2 ratio up-regulation. Conclusion The flow cytometry and real-time PCR results indicated the potential of this liposomal extract as an anti-cancer drug candidate for the treatment of liver cancer in the future, and the mitochondrial pathway involving the up-regulation of the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio can mediate its impact.