Antiproliferative effects of boswellic acid-loaded chitosan nanoparticles on human lung cancer cell line A549

Aim: In the present study boswellic acids-loaded chitosan nanoparticles were synthesized using ionic gelation technique. The influence of independent variables were studied and optimized on dependent variables using central composite design. Methodology & results: The designed nanoparticles were observed spherical in shape with an average size of 67.5-187.2 nm and have also shown an excellent entrapment efficiency (80.06 ± 0.48). The cytotoxicity assay revealed enhanced cytotoxicity for drug-loaded nanoparticles in contrast to the free drug having an IC50 value of 17.29 and 29.59 μM, respectively. Flow cytometry confirmed that treatment of cells with 40 μg/ml had arrested 22.75 ± 0.3% at SubG0 phase of the cell cycle when compared with untreated A459 cells. The observed results justified the boswellic acids-loaded chitosan nanoparticles were effective due to greater cellular uptake, sustained intercellular drug retention and enhanced antiproliferative effect by inducing apoptosis.