Bridging ethnopharmacology and nanomedicine: bromelain-loaded cubosomes as a biocompatible platform for cancer therapyOA

Background:Bromelain,a proteolytic enzyme derived from Ananas comosus(pineapple),shows considerable promise as an anticancer agent;however,its clinical utility is restricted by poor stability and bioavailability.We investigated whether encapsulating bromelain within liquid crystalline cubosomes(BELCC)could overcome these barriers and enhance its therapeutic potential.Methods:Cubosomes were prepared using a top-down homogenization approach and thoroughly characterized using FTIR,SEM,TEM,and dynamic light scattering.We assessed physicochemical stability over four weeks of storage(4℃ and 25℃)and evaluated in vitro cytotoxicity and apoptosis using HepG2 and MG63 cancer cell lines.Results:BELCC formulations exhibited a uniform particle distribution at 302.8 nm,negative surface charge(−23.0 mV),and 68.4%encapsulation efficiency,all consistent with a stable nanocarrier.Storage studies showed minimal changes in particle size,polydispersity index,and zeta potential over four weeks,with bromelain levels remaining above 85%after four weeks.Crucially,BELCC exhibited significantly greater cytotoxic and apoptotic activities against both HepG2 and MG63 cells compared to free bromelain and blank cubosomes.IC_(50) values were reduced 2.2–2.4-fold,and the drug release kinetics followed a Higuchi model pattern,indicating sustained delivery.Blank cubosomes showed negligible toxicity,indicating that the enhanced anticancer effects were solely due to the encapsulated bromelain.Conclusion:Our findings suggest that bromelain-loaded cubosomes represent a practical and biocompatible approach to leveraging this traditional plant enzyme for cancer treatment.Although limited to in vitro studies,these results support further investigation through in vivo efficacy studies,pharmacokinetic evaluation,and detailed mechanistic studies of apoptotic pathways to establish translational relevance for liver and bone cancer applications.