Synthesis of a nano-emulsion of quercetin encapsulated vitamin E conjugated iron oxide nanoparticles for the systemic phyto-preventive eﬀect - characterization and oral cancer application

Sep 29, 2026

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Study designs a nano-emulsion system combining quercetin encapsulated vitamin E with conjugated iron oxide nanoparticles to counter oral carcinogenesis. Iron oxide nanoparticles are synthesized by co-precipitation, converted into oil-in-water nano-emulsions, and characterized. Five groups of Syrian hamsters receive negative control, DMBA-painted positive control, quercetin dosing, or nano-emulsion treatments with staged DMBA exposure. Biochemical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical results show improved blood parameters and reduced tumor markers, with a pronounced protective effect against oral squamous cell carcinoma and modulation of Ki-67 and Bcl-2.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Oral premalignant lesions and OSCC background

Hamster buccal pouch model and DMBA induction

Chemoprevention concept and quercetin rationale

Nanoscale Advances PAPER Cite this: DOI: 10 .1039/d5na00546a Received 3rd June 2025 Accepted 29th October 2025 DOI: 10.1039/d5na00546a[rsc.li/nanoscale-advances](rsc.li/nanoscale-advances) Synthesis of a nano-emulsion of quercetin encapsulated vitamin E conjugated iron oxide nanoparticles for the systemic phyto-preventive eﬀect: characterization and oral cancer application Merhan N. El-Mansy,a Zeyad M. Hamdy,b Ahmed E. Abdelsamiebc and Ola M. ElBorady *d Background: Globally, one of the most pressing public health concerns is the prevention of oral cancerous lesions. This study aimed to reverse the carcinogenic eﬀect of DMBA in hamsters by using nano-emulsions of quercetin encapsulated vitamin E and iron oxide. Methods: The studied iron oxide nanoparticles were prepared by the co-precipitation method and then converted into nano-emulsions via the oil-in-water technique and characterized. The study included ﬁve equal groups of 30 Syrian male hamsters aged eight weeks. Group A constituted a negative control, and Group B received 25 mg kg−1 of nanoemulsion orally three times per week for eight weeks. Group C (positive control) was painted with DMBAon the left pouches three times per week for six weeks. Group D received 25 mg kg−1 of quercetin thrice per week for two weeks orally, with a continued painting of DMBA per week for six weeks. Group E received 25 mg kg−1 of nano-emulsion orally, three times per week, for two weeks, and then continued using it with painting DMBA three times per week for six weeks. Results: The morphological and chemical characterization of the synthesized emulsions revealed the formation of spherical particles in the nanoscale emulsion. A signiﬁcant improvement was noted in the nano-emulsion group compared to the DMBA-painted group in multiple biochemical parameters, such as hemoglobin, RBCs, platelets, WBCs, neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, ALT, AST, creatinine, and urea. The histopathological and immunohistochemical assessments revealed well-diﬀerentiated squamous cell carcinoma in the DMBAtreated group, with intense expression of Ki-67 and Bcl-2 . In the quercetin-treated group, superﬁcial invasion of carcinoma in situ was noted with a moderate decrease in the expression of Ki-67 and Bcl-2 . Marked improvement was observed in the quercetin nano-emulsion-treated group that showed moderate to severe dysplasia with an obvious decrease in Ki-67 and Bcl-2 expression. Conclusion: The study results conﬁrmed that the prepared quercetin-vitamin E-Fe3O4 formulations are novel in combining magnetic targeting and antioxidant co-protection nano-emulsions and signiﬁcantly prevented oral squamous cell carcinoma in hamsters. 1. Introduction Premalignant lesions lead to changes in the epithelium with higher potential for malignancy. They include hyperplasia andatypia with a low risk of malignant transformation, whereas dysplasia represents a higher malignant potential. Oral aFaculty of Dentistry, Suez Canal University, Kilo 4.5 Ring Road., Ismailia, Egypt. [E-mail: merhan_elmansy@dent.suez.edu.eg](E-mail: merhan_elmansy@dent.suez.edu.eg) bFaculty of Biotechnology, October University for Modern Science and Arts (MSA), 6th October, Giza, Egypt. E-mail: [ziadhamdy100@hotmail.com](ziadhamdy100@hotmail.com) cFaculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland. E-mail: Ahmed. [ibrahemm22@gmail.com](ibrahemm22@gmail.com) dInstitute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Kafrelsheikh University, 33516, Kafr ElSheikh, Egypt. E-mail: [olachem_elborady@yahoo.com](olachem_elborady@yahoo.com); ola_elborady@nano.kfs. [edu.eg](edu.eg) squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most debilitating disease that negatively aﬀects the quality of a patient's life. It is considered the sixth most common disease globally, with 700 000 new cases diagnosed each year.1 Despite the advances in diﬀerent therapeutic modalities, the 5-year survival rate has not changed and remains at about 50% .2 It is considered a mult

FAQs

What is the main goal of the study?

To counter the carcinogenic effect of DMBA in hamsters using nano-emulsions of quercetin encapsulated with vitamin E and iron oxide, and to evaluate their oral cancer application.

How were the iron oxide nanoparticles and nano-emulsions prepared?

Iron oxide nanoparticles were prepared by co-precipitation, converted into nano-emulsions using an oil-in-water technique, and then characterized.

What biochemical and tissue outcomes were observed with nano-emulsion treatment?

Nano-emulsion treated animals showed significant improvements in multiple biochemical parameters and histopathological changes consistent with reduced carcinogenic progression, alongside altered Ki-67 and Bcl-2 expression.

Sep 29, 2026

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