Photodynamic therapy of cationic and anionic BSA-curcumin nanoparticles on amastigotes of Leishmania braziliensis and Leishmania major and Leishmania amazonensis
Luciana Maria Cortez Marcolino, Jessica AR Ambrosio, Juliana Guerra Pinto, Isabelle Ferreira, Andreza Ribeiro Simioni, Juliana Ferreira–Strixino
Abstract
Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a neglected disease prevalent in tropical countries, and conventional treatment can cause several serious side effects. Photodynamic therapy represents an alternative treatment, as it is non-invasive, has no side effects, is easily accessible, and uses low-cost substances, such as curcumin. This study evaluated the PDT response with cationic and anionic BSA nanoparticles encapsulated with curcumin in macrophages infected with L. braziliensis, L. major, and L. amazonensis. To this end, the nanoparticle system was characterized using a steady-state technique, scanning electron microscopy study, and its biological activity was evaluated using macrophage cell lines infected with different Leishmania species. All spectroscopy measurements demonstrated that BSA curcumin (BSACur) has good photo-physical properties, and through confocal microscopy, it was verified that macrophages and protozoa internalized the nanoparticles. Through the viability test, it was found that at low concentrations, such as 0.1, 0.7, and 1.0 µmol. L−1, there was a decrease in cell viability after PDT application. Furthermore, a decrease in the number of parasites recovered was observed in the PDT groups. The results allowed us to conclude that curcumin loaded into BSA nanoparticles may have potential application in drug delivery systems for PDT protocols, demonstrated to reduce cell viability at lower concentrations than free curcumin.