# Chitosan-graft-poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) Nanoparticles Containing Crotalus atrox Snake Venom: Biological and Physicochemical Characterization

## TL;DR

Researchers developed venom-loaded nanoparticles from snake venom and biopolymers, which show potential as a new treatment for breast cancer.

## Contribution

A novel nanoparticle formulation using Crotalus atrox venom and chitosan-g-poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) for targeted cancer therapy.

## Key findings

- Cs-Venom NPs had a hydrodynamic size of 222 nm, ζ-potential of 42.0 mV, and 88.6% encapsulation efficiency.
- Cs-Venom NPs showed no hemagglutination or hemolysis, indicating low toxicity.
- Cs-Venom NPs exhibited cytotoxic effects with IC50 values of 61.7 µg/mL and 59.0 µg/mL on breast cancer cell lines.

## Abstract

The development of snake venom-loaded nanobiosystems based on smart biopolymers represents a promising therapeutic approach in several biomedical research fields. Specifically, the western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) contains various bioactive peptides and proteins with reported antitumor activity. This research aimed to establish a simplistic, facile and straightforward protocol for preparing chitosan-g-poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) nanoparticles containing C. atrox venom for potential use as a therapeutic nanocarrier against breast carcinoma cell lines. Herein, the physicochemical properties of venom-loaded nanoparticles were evaluated by FTIR, DLS, and SDS-PAGE. Also, the biological properties of both C. atrox venom and Cs-Venom NPs such as hemagglutination and hemolysis activity were evaluated in vitro. Finally, we evaluated their cytotoxic activity against two breast carcinoma cell lines (T-47D and MDA-MB-231). The most suitable formulation exhibited a hydrodynamic size of 222 nm, a ζ-potential of 42.0 mV and an encapsulation efficiency of 88.6%. C. atrox venom exhibited hemagglutination at concentrations >15 µg/mL but, no hemagglutination or hemolysis was observed for the CS-Venom NPs. Lastly, the IC50 of Cs-Venom NPs was determined for the T-47D and MDA-MB-231 cell lines, at 61.7 and 59.0 µg/mL, respectively. Thus, Cs-Venom NPs exhibit promising properties that can be considered a feasible alternative for developing controlled-release therapeutic systems.