Synergistic Nanotherapeutic Approach: Enhancing Anticancer Efficacy with Oleanolic Acid and Tamoxifen Co-Loaded Dammar Gum Nanoparticles

Drug resistance poses a significant challenge in the realm of chemotherapeutic interventions for cancer. Leveraging nanoscale formulations offers a promising avenue for enhancing the efficacy of secondary metabolites derived from plants with known anticancer properties. Among these, oleanolic acid (OA), a pentacyclic triterpenoid compound, has demonstrated the ability to impede cellular proliferation in cancer cells. Tamoxifen, a selective estrogen receptor modulator, is employed in the management of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, as well as in reducing the risk of invasive breast cancer post-surgery and in high-risk populations. This study employs oil-in-oil (O/O) emulsion solvent evaporation techniques to fabricate nanoparticles loaded with OA and tamoxifen (OTDNPs) using dammar gum as a carrier, aiming to enhance their bioavailability and elicit a synergistic therapeutic effect. Characterization of the OTDNPs revealed a zeta potential value of -12.43 mV, indicative of their relative stability. Encapsulation efficiencies of 71.8% for OA and 78.6% for tamoxifen were observed. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis indicated that the OTDNPs possessed particle sizes ranging from 35 to 64 nm. Furthermore, the OTDNPs exhibited sustained release profiles and displayed significantly enhanced antioxidant and anticancer properties compared to free OA and tamoxifen particles alone. In vitro evaluations conducted on MCF-7 cell lines demonstrated that the combination of OA and tamoxifen encapsulated in dammar gum nanoparticles effectively inhibited cell proliferation to a greater extent than the individual compounds, underscoring their potent anticancer potential.