Exploring the Anticancer Potential of Epigallocatechin Gallate Loaded Sodium Alginate Nanoparticles: Impact of Size Variation on Head and Neck Cancer Cells

Head and neck cancers, particularly squamous cell carcinomas, are challenging to treat due to recurrence, drug resistance, and side effects. The present study explores using epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), an anti-cancer compound from green tea, encapsulated in sodium alginate nanoparticles (SA NPs) of varying sizes. Five different sizes of SA NPs were synthesized, and EGCG was loaded into the selected particles. Characterizations of SA NPs with and without EGCG were conducted using dynamic light scattering (DLS), FE-SEM, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Furthermore, the loading capacity, entrapment efficiency and release profile of the EGCG-loaded NPs were evaluated. The cytotoxicity and cell viability were assessed using MTT and LDH assays on TSCC-1 cancer cells. Moreover, cellular uptake, wound healing, colony formation and apoptosis were also tested. The results of characterizations confirmed the successful synthesis of SA NPs. Two NP sizes (type 1 and type 4) were selected for EGCG loading, for which the drug release was around 39% for type 1 and 51% for type 4 nanoparticles after 14 days. The optimal cytotoxicity on cancer cells was observed at a concentration of 80 µg/mL of NPs (type 1). The colony formation analysis displayed a significant reduction in colony numbers after treatment with EGCG-loaded NPs compared to controls. Furthermore, wound healing assays showed the ability of EGCG-loaded NPs to prevent cancer cell migration, and the evaluation of apoptosis demonstrated an obvious increase in apoptosis levels in TSCC-1 cells treated with type 1 NPs (80 µg/mL). It was demonstrated that EGCG-loaded SA NPs effectively inhibit the proliferation and migration, and induce apoptosis in head and neck cancer cells.