THYMUS VULGARIS EXTRACT FORMULATED AS CYCLODEXTRIN COMPLEXES: SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION, ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY AND IN VITRO CYTOTOXICITY ASSESSMENT
IOANA TUȚĂ-SAS 1#, MARIA PROKS 1,2#, VIRGIL PĂUNESCU 1, IULIA PÎNZARU 2*, IOAN SAS 1, DORINA CORICOVAC 2, ALINA MOACĂ 2, CRISTINA DEHELEAN 2
1.Faculty of Medicine, “Victor Babeş” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timișoara, 2 Eftimie Murgu Square, 300041 Timişoara, Romania
2.Faculty of Pharmacy, “Victor Babeş” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timișoara, 2 Eftimie Murgu Square, 300041 Timişoara, Romania
Download Full Article PDF
Thymus species are important sources of bioactive compounds but considering their low stability and solubility in aqueous solutions, the pharmaceutical utilization is limited. A method to overcome these drawbacks was proposed in the current study, by encapsulating thyme total hydro-alcoholic extract (TE) in β- and γ- CD (cyclodextrins). It was assessed the antioxidant activity (AOA) in time (DPPH assay) and the in vitro cytotoxicity on MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, using the Alamar blue test (cells viability), scratch assay technique (cells migration and proliferation) and Annexin V-FITC assay (cells apoptosis). The TE and its CD complexes showed a significant AOA over a longer time interval indicating a controlled release of the active compounds. In vitro tests indicated a significant cytotoxic activity of both CD complexes as compared to TE, even at a low concentration (10 µg/mL), the most pronounced activity being recorded for TE γ-CD inclusion complex on MDA-MB-231 cells (32% viable cells at 100 µg/mL).
