evaluation of anti-cancer effect of chitosan nanoparticles containing echis carinatus venom on cancer cell lines

Echis carinatus venom is a toxic substance naturally produced by special glands in this species of snake. alongside numerous toxic properties, this venom has been used for its therapeutic effects applicable in the treatment of various types of cancers (liver, breast, bone marrow, etc.). nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems are suitable tools for protecting echis carinatus venom against destruction and unwanted absorption and can manage its controlled transfer and absorption in sites of interest, resulting in significant side effect reduction. in the present study, chitosan nanoparticles were prepared by ionic gelation method with emulsion cross-linking. the encapsulation efficiency, loading capacity, and the release rate of the venom in certain periods of time were calculated. moreover, the optimal formulation and the cytotoxic effects were determined using mtt assay. according to the results, it was concluded that the optimized formulation increases the induction of apoptosis in various cell lines. moreover, chitosan nanoparticles loaded with echis carinatus venom had a significant rate of specificity for cancer cells; therefore, it is proposed that this targeted formulation can be a suitable candidate for more extensive assessments for cancer treatment.