Assessment of cytotoxic impact of wild grown Lavandula angustifolia essential oil encapsulated in liposomes and nanoemulsions on DU145 cancer cell line

Abstract

The cytotoxic activity of free and nanoencapsulated essential oil of Lavandula angustifolia (LEO) was evaluated in this study. The aim was to produce different nanoformulations (NF) of LEO to improve the physicochemical properties of NF and the cytotoxic activity of LEO in the DU145 cancer cell line. Essential oil-based liposomes (LEO-Lipoid S100, -Ph 85G, and -Ph 90H) and nanoemulsions (LEO-NE) were prepared by ethanol injection method and high-pressure homogenization, respectively. LEO demonstrates measurable in vitro cytotoxic activity against the DU145 cell line (IC50 75 μg/mL). NE and Ph90H LS significantly enhanced its cytotoxic activity, while LEOLipoid S100 LS and LEO-Ph 85G LS showed no significant difference. LEO-Ph 90H LS and LEO-NE demonstrate stable nanosystems and enhanced cytotoxic potential against the DU-145 cancer cell line, suggesting promising therapeutic benefits for future application. Further studies involving in vivo experiments are necessary to validate and extend these findings.