Background: Oral cancer is considered the 6th most frequent cancer type worldwide. Different approaches were proposed to tackle the disease, though the traditional therapies failed to successfully treat the disease. Hence, natural medicines became under focus for their potential anticancer properties utilizing emerging concept of HADCs inhibition that offered potential strategy for cancer therapy. Methods: In the present study, the efficacy of Graviola extract (Annona muricata) loaded on chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) was assessed for its potential role in modulating HDACs in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (SCC-25). Cells were treated with A. muricata loaded on CNPS (A-CNPs) and emetine (as a reference drug) loaded on CNPS (E-CNPs), and HDACs 1, 2, 3, 6, and 8 proteins were quantified using Simple Step ELISA™ and The intensity was measured by ROBONIK P2000 ELISA READER at 450 nm. Results: A-CNPs revealed a significant decrease (p<0.000) in the expression of HDAC1, 2, 6, and 8 in SCC-25 cells at values (7, 2.35, 1.23, 82.5 & 3 ng/mL, respectively) compared to control untreated cells (12.81, 4.03, 2.19, 86.99 & 10.453 ng/ml). Meanwhile, E-CNPs downregulated all HDACs more than A-CNPs.
Conclusion: Annona muricata loaded on CNPs was capable of downregulation of HDAC 1 and 2, 3, 6 & 8 in SCC-25 cell line which might implicate its potential role as anti-cancer agents through modifying HADCs expression.