Enhancing the Therapeutic Effect and Bioavailability of Irradiated Silver Nanoparticle-Capped Chitosan-Coated Rosuvastatin Calcium Nanovesicles for the Treatment of Liver Cancer

Liver cancer is a prevalent form of carcinoma worldwide. A novel chitosan-coated optimized formulation capped with irradiated silver nanoparticles (INops) was fabricated to boost the anti-malignant impact of rosuvastatin calcium (RC). Using a 23-factorial design, eight formulations were produced using the solvent evaporation process. The formulations were characterized in vitro to identify the optimal formulation (Nop). The FTIR spectra showed that the fingerprint region is not superimposed with that of the drug; DSC thermal analysis depicted a negligible peak shift; and XRPD diffractograms revealed the disappearance of the typical drug peaks. Nop had an entrapment efficiency percent (EE%) of 86.2%, a polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.254, a zeta potential (ZP) of −35.3 mV, and a drug release after 12 h (Q12) of 55.6%. The chitosan-coated optimized formulation (CS.Nop) showed significant mucoadhesive strength that was 1.7-fold greater than Nop. Physical stability analysis of CS.Nop revealed negligible alterations in VS, ZP, PDI, and drug retention (DR) at 4 °C. The irradiated chitosan-coated optimized formulation capped with silver nanoparticles (INops) revealed the highest inhibition effect on carcinoma cells (97.12%) compared to the chitosan-coated optimized formulation (CS.Nop; 81.64) and chitosan-coated optimized formulation capped with silver nanoparticles (CS.Nop.AgNPs; 92.41). The bioavailability of CS-Nop was 4.95-fold greater than RC, with a residence time of about twice the free drug. CS.Nop has displayed a strong in vitro–in vivo correlation with R2 0.9887. The authors could propose that novel INop could serve as an advanced platform to improve oral bioavailability and enhance hepatic carcinoma recovery.