Nanoencapsulation of Byrsonima crassifolia extracts with anti-proliferative and apoptotic activity in the treatment of gastric adenocarcinoma
Resumen
Gastric adenocarcinoma represents one of the main types of gastrointestinal cancer with a high mortality rate. Given the need for safer and more effective therapeutic alternatives, this project evaluated extracts of Byrsonima crassifolia (nanche), a plant with antioxidant and antiproliferative potential, for their possible application in treatments against this disease. Extracts of fresh and dried leaves were obtained, using aqueous and ethanolic solvents, and different physicochemical and bioactive properties were analyzed.
The pH, moisture content (in fresh leaf before dehydration) and yield after freeze-drying were measured. Freeze-dried extracts of dried leaf showed higher yields, although fresh leaf extracts showed more defined bands in FTIR analysis. Total sugars and reducing agents were quantified, highlighting the methods of maceration and infusion of fresh leaves for their low levels of total sugars, and maceration of fresh crushed leaves for their high content of reducing agents, associated with antioxidant capacity.
In phenolic compounds, infusion of fresh crushed leaf (2.00 mg EAG/mL) and sonication of dry leaf with 80% ethanol (0.91 mg EAG/mL) showed the highest values. In flavonoids, the extraction with dry leaf sonication with 80% ethanol showed the highest content (65.482 µg EQ/mL). Finally, antioxidant activity by DPPH was higher in the fresh leaf treatments. All extracts were characterized by FTIR and compared with gallic acid, ascorbic acid and quercetin standards.