DESIGNING EFFICIENT SOLID LIPID NANOPARTICLES FOR COLORECTAL CANCER: FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF ESCULIN AND SILYMARIN USING DoE APPROACH

This research focused on formulating and optimizing solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) loaded with esculin and silymarin to enhance their physicochemical stability and in-vitro anticancer activity against colorectal cancer cells. The SLNs were produced using a hot homogenization method, and a 3² factorial design in Design Expert® software was employed to assess the effect of glyceryl monostearate (GMS) and Tween-80 concentrations on particle size (PS), zeta potential (ZP), and entrapment efficiency (EE). The optimized batch containing 1% (w/w) GMS and 2% (w/w) Tween-80 achieved a PS of 152 nm, ZP of −27 mV, and EE of 84.6%. Transmission electron microscopy revealed spherical particles, and in-vitro release analysis demonstrated a sustained drug-release pattern. High-performance liquid chromatography confirmed the successful loading of esculin and silymarin into the SLNs. The optimized system exhibited improved in-vitro cytotoxic effects against HCT-116 colorectal cancer cells compared with the free drugs, although cisplatin showed stronger cytotoxicity than the SLN formulation. Overall, the SLNs displayed favourable physicochemical properties and encouraging in-vitro anticancer activity, supporting their potential for future in-vivo evaluation.