Triple Drug-Loaded Nanostructured Lipid Carriers Containing Sitagliptin, Curcumin, and Berberine: Formulation, Characterization, and Potential for Antidiabetic and Hepatoprotective Effects
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64252/csmxmf54Keywords:
Triple-drug nanocarrier, Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs), Sitagliptin, Curcumin, Berberine, Type 2 diabetes, Hepatoprotection, α-Glucosidase inhibition,Abstract
The present study explores the development and evaluation of a novel nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC) system co-encapsulating Sitagliptin, Curcumin, and Berberine for enhanced antidiabetic and hepatoprotective effects. A 3² factorial design was employed to optimize the formulation parameters, achieving a mean particle size of 158.2 ± 3.7 nm, polydispersity index of 0.248 ± 0.01, and zeta potential of –32.4 ± 1.5 mV, indicating physical stability and uniform particle distribution. Entrapment efficiencies exceeded 78% for all three drugs, and TEM imaging confirmed spherical morphology. In vitro release studies revealed a biphasic profile with sustained drug release over 24 hours. The NLC formulation exhibited significantly improved α-glucosidase inhibition (88.2 ± 1.3%) and glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes (61.5 ± 2.3%) compared to free drug mixtures. In vivo studies in diabetic rats demonstrated superior glycemic control, normalization of liver enzyme biomarkers, and restored hepatic architecture. These results suggest that the triple-drug NLC system provides a synergistic, multi-targeted therapeutic approach for managing Type 2 diabetes and its hepatic complications.
