Development and In Vitro Cytotoxicity Evaluation of Individual and Combined Injectable Solutions of Curcumin and Resveratrol Against Lung Cancer Cells

The objective of the present study was to develop injectable solutions of curcumin (CUR) and resveratrol (RES) for intravenous administration as a strategy to increase their solubility and stability, as well as to evaluate their cytotoxic potential, individually and in combination, on human lung non-small adenocarcinoma cells (A549 cells) and non-tumoral cells isolated from normal human bronchial epithelium (BEAS cells) to establish possible synergistic effects and potential therapeutic alternatives for lung cancer. Using factorial experimental designs, the components of the injectable CUR and RES solutions were selected, and their hemolytic potential was evaluated by a static method. In addition, combinations of injectable CUR:RES solutions (25:75, 50:50 and 75:25) were prepared from the individual ones, and their stability under refrigeration conditions and cytotoxic potential on A549 and BEAS cells were evaluated. The stability of the injectable solutions of CUR, RES and their different combinations was maintained for 3 months, except for the 25:75 combination of CUR:RES. Furthermore, the cytotoxic potential of CUR and RES on tumoral cells (A549) and non-tumoral (BEAS) cells was evaluated, indicating a dose-dependent effect; the combination of CUR:RES 50:50 and the combination of CUR:RES 75:25 presented synergistic effects in reducing cell viability. This study suggests that injectable solutions of CUR, RES and their combination for intravenous administration could be potential viable candidates and should be evaluated for their efficacy in animal models of lung cancer to establish new possible treatments.