Quercetin-loaded Liposomes Effectively Induced Apoptosis and Decreased the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Expression in Colorectal Cancer Cells - An In Vitro Study

Q: What was the aim of the study on SW48 colorectal cancer cells?

To load quercetin onto nanoliposomes to enhance anti-cancer efficiency and compare cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and EGFR gene expression against free quercetin.

Q: How were quercetin-loaded liposomes prepared and characterized?

They were synthesized using the lipid thin-film hydration method and characterized by HPLC, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Q: What effects did quercetin-loaded liposomes have compared with free quercetin?

The combined formulation showed stronger activity: higher cytotoxicity, nearly doubled apoptosis, and significantly lower EGFR gene expression in SW48 cells.

Sep 24, 2026

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Quercetin, a flavonoid with anti-cancer potential, shows limited stability, low bioavailability, and poor solubility. This in vitro study loaded quercetin onto nanoliposomes to enhance its action against SW48 colorectal cancer cells and compared free quercetin with the loaded formulation. Liposomes were prepared by lipid thin-film hydration and characterized by HPLC, DLS, and TEM. Cytotoxicity, apoptosis incidence, and EGFR gene expression were evaluated using MTT, flow cytometry, and real-time PCR. Quercetin-loaded liposomes increased cytotoxicity, nearly doubled apoptosis, and significantly reduced EGFR gene expression.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

What’s Known

What’s New

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Introduction

Materials and Methods

Results

Discussion

IJMS Vol 48, No 3, May 2023 Original Article Quercetin-loaded Liposomes Effectively Induced Apoptosis and Decreased the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Expression in Colorectal Cancer Cells: An In Vitro Study Fatemeh Keshavarz1, PhD; Maryam Dorfaki1, MSc; Hasan Bardania2 , PhD; Fatemeh Khosravani2 , MSc; Paria Nazari2 , MD; Ghasem Ghalamfarsa3 , PhD 1Department of Immunology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; 2Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran; 3Medicinal Plants Research Center, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Yasuj, Iran Correspondence: Ghasem Ghalamfarsa, PhD; Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Yasuj University of Medical Sciences, Saheli Blvd. , Postal code: 75917-41417, Yasuj Iran Tel: +98 74 3337938 Fax: +98 74 3337937 Email: [ghasem_ghalamfarsa@yahoo.com](ghasem_ghalamfarsa@yahoo.com) [Received: 19 April 2022](Received: 19 April 2022) [Revised: 09 June 2022](Revised: 09 June 2022) [Accepted: 10 August 2022](Accepted: 10 August 2022) |
What’s Known
• Quercetin has good pharmaceutical properties; however, its bio-medical applications are constrained by factors such as insufficient bioavailability, poor solubility, and low permeability.
• The epidermal growth factor receptor, which is involved in the cell signaling pathway of metastasis, is increasingly expressed in colorectal cancer cells.

What’s New | | --- | | • Loading more quercetin on nanoliposomes could enhance its toxicity, mostly by inducing apoptosis against colon cancer cells.
• Quercetin-loaded nanoliposomes significantly decreased the epidermal growth factor receptor gene expression, indicating the effectiveness of this compound in inhibiting gene expression and cancer development. | Abstract Background: Quercetin is a flavonoid having anti-cancer properties; however, it has low stability, insufficient bioavailability, and poor solubility. This study aimed to load quercetin on nanoliposomes to enhance its efficiency against SW48 colorectal cancer cells. The cytotoxicity of free-quercetin and quercetin-loaded nanoliposomes on the expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGER) gene was investigated. Methods: This present in vitro study was conducted at Yasuj University of Medical Sciences (Yasuj, Iran) in 2021. In this in vitro study, the lipid thin-film hydration method was used to synthesize quercetin-loaded liposomes. Additionally, highperformance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations were used to characterize nanomaterials. Following that, MTT, flow cytometry, and real-time PCR were used to investigate the cytotoxicity of quercetin-loaded liposomeson the colorectal cancer cells SW48 cell line, the incidence of apoptosis, and the expression of the EGFR gene in these cells. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS (version 26.0), and the graphs were created with the GraphPad Prism version 8.4.3. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The nanoparticles were spherical, homogenous, and 150±10 nm in size. According to HPLC, Quercetin had a 98% loading capacity. Although both free quercetin and quercetinloaded liposomes indicated significant cytotoxicity against cancer cells (P˂0.001), the combined form was significantly more active (P=0.008). 50 µg/mL of this compound reduced the viability of SW48 cells by more than 80%(IC50 : 10.65 µg/mL), while the viability of cells treated with free quercetin was only 66%(IC50 : 18.74 µg/mL). The apoptosis was nearly doubled in the cells treated with quercetin-loaded nanoliposomes compared to free quercetin (54.8% versus 27.6%). EGFR gene expression, on the other hand, was significantly lower in cells treated with quercetin-loaded liposomes than the quercetin alone (P=0.006). Conclusion: When combined with nanoliposomes, quercetin had grea

FAQs

What was the aim of the study on SW48 colorectal cancer cells?

To load quercetin onto nanoliposomes to enhance anti-cancer efficiency and compare cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and EGFR gene expression against free quercetin.

How were quercetin-loaded liposomes prepared and characterized?

They were synthesized using the lipid thin-film hydration method and characterized by HPLC, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

What effects did quercetin-loaded liposomes have compared with free quercetin?

The combined formulation showed stronger activity: higher cytotoxicity, nearly doubled apoptosis, and significantly lower EGFR gene expression in SW48 cells.

Sep 24, 2026

Uploaded by Pentious