Fabrication of Kaempferol Loaded Zein Nanoparticles: Investigation of in Vitro Cytotoxicity and Apoptosis Induction in Oral Cancer Cells

Oral cancer remains a significant health challenge, necessitating innovative therapeutic strategies to enhance treatment efficacy and minimize side effects. This study investigates the potential of kaempferol-loaded zein nanoparticles (KZNPs) for this purpose. Kaempferol, a flavonoid with anticancer properties, has poor water solubility, limiting its effectiveness. Zein nanoparticles (ZNPs) offer a promising delivery system for such bioactive compounds. UV-Vis spectroscopy identified Kaempferol’s absorption peaks at 347 and 253 nm, which shifted to 338 nm when encapsulated in ZNPs, indicating a change in π–π* conjugation. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed that sodium caseinate (SC) stabilizes ZNPs, resulting in spherical particles with optimal size and stability. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy suggested enhanced hydrogen bonding between Kaempferol and zein. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) revealed the absence of Kaempferol’s crystalline peaks in KZNPs. The encapsulation efficiency (EE) was 98.39%, and drug release studies showed a controlled release of 79% kaempferol over 8 h. In vitro assays demonstrated that KZNPs significantly increased Kaempferol’s cytotoxicity against PCI-13 oral cancer cells without affecting normal NIH3T3 cancer cells. Overall, these results demonstrate that our KZNPs enhanced biocompatibility and anticancer properties for oral cancer cells.