Sorafenib-fortified zein–chondroitin sulphate biopolymer nanoparticles as a novel therapeutic system in gastric cancer treatment

Gastric cancer is the second most common cause of cancer related death worldwide and lacks a highly effective treatment for the advanced disease. In this study, we have successfully demonstrated the preparation of core–shell type biopolymer based zein/chondroitin sulphate nanoparticles for the delivery of sorafenib in gastric cancers. The SRF-loaded zein/chondroitin sulphate nanoparticles (SZCS) were nanosized with a spherical morphology and exhibited a higher encapsulation of more than >90%. The biopolymer nanoparticles showed the ability to release the drug in a controlled manner for 120 h, indicating their potential application in systemic delivery. The nanoparticles showed a remarkable uptake in gastric cancer cells in a time-dependent manner. The SZCS displayed an improved cytotoxic effect compared to that of free SRF in the equivalent concentrations in SGC7901 cancer cells. Also, we demonstrated a higher apoptosis and caspase 3/7 activity for the SZCS nanoparticle system. Based on our results, we can conclude that SZCS might hold great potential in the treatment of gastric cancers.