Electrosprayed Folic Acid-Conjugated Ursolic Acid Nanoparticles for Tumor Therapy

We describe a simple method for the fabrication of folic acid-conjugated ursolic acid (FA-UA) nanoparticles using electrospraying. The FA-UA nanoparticles had an average size of 90.6 nm and exhibited greater cellular uptake compared with pristine UA and electrosprayed UA nanoparticles. We also evaluated the cytotoxicity of pristine UA, electrosprayed UA nanoparticles, and FA-UA nanoparticles over time and under different UA concentrations. In vitro , the FA-UA nanoparticles showed significantly higher cytotoxicity in KB cells compared with pristine UA and electrosprayed UA nanoparticles. These results were corroborated by LIVE/DEAD staining and fluorescence imaging of cancer cells. Thus, FA-UA nanoparticles can potentially be used for targeting drugs in cancer therapies.