Nanostructured lipid base carrier for specific delivery of garlic oil through blood brain barrier against aggressiveness of glioma

Glioblastoma, GBM, is a primary malignant brain tumor and is one of the most difficult-to-treat cancers. The inability of drugs to cross the blood brain barrier (BBB) is the main obstacle for treating brain cancers. The development of drug delivery systems which improve the permeation across the BBB is the focus of this research, specifically the benefits and use of nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC). The anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor activity of garlic oil have been widely studied. However, direct treatment with garlic oil is restricted due to its low bioavailability and the application of drug for brain cancer to improve the efficiency of garlic oil, a NLC was developed as a carrier of garlic oil. The garlic NLC was formulated using the hot high-pressure homogenization technique. The physicochemical properties of the garlic NLC were analyzed using dynamic light scattering. Size of the garlic NLC was 136.8 ± 0.56 nm and the zeta potentials of each formulation were −36.27 ± 0.96 mV and PDI 0.163 ± 0.03. The effect of garlic NLC on the cell viability of the glioma cell was determined using a MTT assay. The garlic NLC had higher efficiency towards inhibiting cell viability of glioma cells compared to free garlic oil. In addition, the effects of the garlic NLC on cell migration and cell invasion were assessed using a Boyden chamber assay. The migration and invasion abilities of garlic NLC treated cells were significantly decreased compared to the control and free garlic oil. Moreover, in vitro BBB was used to test permeation of garlic oil across BBB. Interestingly, garlic NLC could cross the BBB while the free garlic oil could not. Taken together, garlic NLC might be applicable as an alternative therapeutic treatment strategy for brain cancer.