Evaluation of the antitumor activity of albendazole using Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers as surface mediated drug delivery system

[Display omitted] •Langmuir-Blodgett films were used as drug reservoirs for a low-solubility compound.•A benzimidazole anthelmintic with antitumoral activity was studied.•Albendazole incorporated into LB layers showed stable monomolecular film formation.•Composited films exhibit inhibition of HepG2 liver carcinoma cell progression.•Novel methodology for studying antitumoral effects on cancer cell culture is proposed. This study demonstrates the application of Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett films as biomimetic drug reservoirs and delivery systems to investigate the effect of an anthelmintic on cancer cell culture. The repurposing of benzimidazole anthelmintics for cancer therapy due to their microtubule-inhibiting properties has gained attention, showing promising anticancer effects and tumor-suppressive properties. Although widely used in medicine, the low aqueous solubility of benzimidazole compounds poses challenges for studying their effects on cancer cells, requiring incorporation into various formulations. Our study demonstrates that incorporating albendazole into stable Palmitic Acid Langmuir monolayers, forming Langmuir-Blodgett films, significantly affects the proliferation of liver carcinoma cells. This report presents the initial findings of the effect of an antitumoral drug on cancer cell culture using a simple and repeatable methodology.