Evaluation of the oxidation stability and anti-cancer cell activity of Paeonia ostii seed oil and its linolenic acid fractions delivered as microemulsions

In this study, oil-in-water microemulsions (MEs) were developed and used as a stable carrier for delivery of Paeonia ostii seed oil (PSO), a fatty acid mixture (FAM), and α-linolenic acid (ALA). Dynamic light scattering (DLS) was used to measure the particle size and polydispersity index (PDI) of the ME. The effects of temperature, exposure to light, and the addition of antioxidants on the peroxide values of the loads were investigated. The MEs were composed of droplets with diameters between 15 and 35 nm and PDIs lower than 0.5, and the addition of antioxidants had no significant effect on the particle size and dispersibility. Temperature, more than light, was the factor that most significantly promoted doxidation, and the influence of the addition of different antioxidants was higher by butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), followed by vitamin C and vitamin E. Viability and morphology of A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells treated with MEs were studied. The three evaluated MEs caused damage to cell membrane and inhibited the growth of cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner. Data on intracellular malondialdehyde (MDA) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in cancer cells indicated that the treatment with MEs stimulated oxidative stress response and induced oxidative damage. These findings showed the latent capacity of MEs for protection of nutritional factors and for drug delivery.