A Nanocarrier Enhances the Anti-Liver Cancer Efficacy of Mitoxantrone: An Acidic Panax notoginseng Polysaccharide III

Introduction: The incidence and mortality rates of liver cancer are high; therefore, developing new drug delivery systems with good biocompatibility and targeting has become a research hotspot. Methods: Mitoxantrone hydrochloride (MH) loaded in acidic Panax notoginseng polysaccharide III nanoparticles (MANPs) was prepared using electrostatic adsorption. This was achieved by loading MH in acidic Panax notoginseng polysaccharide III (APPN III), a natural compound that exhibits anti-tumor activity. Response surface methodology was used to determine the parameters for the best formulation. Results: Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry indicated that MH in MANPs was amorphous and exhibited good encapsulation efficiency in the carrier. Findings from dynamic dialysis confirmed that MANPs exhibited slow drug release at pH 6.8 and over the pH range of 7.2-7.4. In vitro experiments confirmed the anti-tumor effects of MANPs on H22 cells based on the inhibition of cell proliferation and an increase in apoptosis. MANPs also demonstrated an obvious anti-tumor effect without any toxicity in H22 tumor-bearing mice. This effect could be attributed to APPN III enhancing the immune system and exerting a synergistic anti-tumor effect in combination with MH, thereby alleviating MH-induced damage to the immune system in H22 tumorbearing mice. Conclusion: As a nano-carrier prepared using natural resources, APPN III shows immense potential in the field of drug delivery and could serve as a novel option for the effective delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs.