Synthesis, photophysical and photobiological characterization of BSA nanoparticles loaded with chloroaluminium phthalocyanine by one-step desolvation technique for photodynamic therapy action

Abstract

This work describes the preparation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) nanoparticles by one-step desolvation method using acetone/ethanol as precipitating agent, glutaraldehyde as crosslinking agent, sodium azide as a preservative and water as reaction media for chloroaluminium phthalocyanine (ClAlPc) incorporation for photodynamic therapy action. The characterization of the nanoparticulate system was carried out using steady-state technique, scanning electron microscopy study and their biological activity was evaluated using in vitro macrophages cell lines by classical MTT assay. All the spectroscopy measurements demonstrated good photophysical properties and the in vitro cytotoxicity study showed that the system is not cytotoxic in the darkness, but it exhibits a substantial phototoxicity at 0.90 mol.L⁻¹ of photosensitizer concentration and 10.0 J cm⁻² of light. These conditions are sufficient to kill about 90% of the cells. The results allowed us to conclude that ClAlPc-loaded in BSA nanoparticles might have potential application on drug delivery system for PDT protocols.

Keywords:

• Desolvation
• photodynamic therapy
• phthalocyanine

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Brazilian Agency CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico) [project number 800963/2016-4].