{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]],"date-time":"2026-08-26T19:17:07Z","timestamp":1787771827117,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":62,"publisher":"Open Exploration Publishing","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,20]],"date-time":"2025-10-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1760918400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Explor Target Antitumor Ther"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,21]]},"abstract":"<jats:p xml:lang=\"en\">Aim: The current study uses the depicted approach to synthesize curcumin-piperine loaded Poloxamer F-68 coated magnetic nanoparticles (CUR-PIP-F68-Fe3O4 NPs) to achieve a synergistic anti-cancer impact on an in vitro HCT-116 colon cancer cell. Integrating magnetic nanoparticle technology with phytoconstituents enhances the potential for targeted drug delivery with minimal systemic toxicity and facilitates therapeutic outcomes. Methods: A Box-Behnken design was employed to optimize the CUR-PIP-F68-Fe3O4 NPs prepared by the co-precipitation method. Optimized formulation was evaluated for morphological characteristics, elemental composition, and magnetic properties. An in vitro cytotoxicity assay was conducted to observe the % viability of cells and to further calculate the IC50. Cellular uptake studies were investigated using confocal microscopy. Results: Results showed that the optimised nanoparticles possessed a particle size of 158.7 \u00b1 0.057 nm, zeta potential of \u201330.3 \u00b1 0.1 mV, and encapsulation efficiency of 98.85 \u00b1 0.066%. Analysis by vibrational sample magnetometer revealed that magnetic saturation was 75.6 emu\/g and 50.7 emu\/g for bare Fe3O4 nanoparticles and drug-loaded magnetic nanoparticles, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) depicted the morphological characteristics; elemental composition of synthesized magnetic nanoparticles was confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis by illustrating the presence of C (13.50 \u00b1 0.30%), Fe (78.81 \u00b1 1.23%), and O (7.69 \u00b1 0.29%). The MTT assay and cellular uptake studies unveiled that CUR-PIP-loaded magnetic nanoparticles possess a synergistic cytotoxic effect and the highest drug uptake against the HCT-116 colon cell line. Conclusions: The combination approach of curcumin-piperine magnetic nanoparticles to HCT-116 cells enhanced the anticancer efficacy of the curcumin and further demonstrated the potential of this approach to conduct in vivo studies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.37349\/etat.2025.1002340","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,21]],"date-time":"2025-10-21T00:57:14Z","timestamp":1761008234000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.37349\/open_exploration_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Synergistic anticancer efficacy of optimized curcumin-piperine loaded magnetic nanoparticles for the treatment of colorectal cancer"],"prefix":"10.37349","volume":"6","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4029-212X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ritika","family":"Puri","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"University Institute of Pharma Sciences, Chandigarh University, Gharuan 140413, Punjab, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9520-138X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vimal","family":"Arora","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University Institute of Pharma Sciences, Chandigarh University, Gharuan 140413, Punjab, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"21850","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","unstructured":"Varricchio CG. 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