Fig. 8
From: Liposomal co-delivery of β-carotene and doxorubicin for enhanced colorectal-cancer therapy
Flow cytometric analysis of apoptosis and cell cycle distribution in HCT-116 cells. (a) Representative flow cytometry plots of control HCT-116 cells and cells treated for 48 h with IC₅₀ concentrations of empty liposomes, free DOXO, free β-carotene, and liposomal formulations containing DOXO, β-carotene, or both. (b) Quantification of early apoptosis, late apoptosis, necrosis, and total cell death (mean ± SD, n = 3). Liposomal formulations significantly increased apoptotic fractions, with the Liposomal Mix (β-carotene + DOXO) showing the highest total death (44.51 ± 4.45%), indicating a synergistic pro-apoptotic effect (p < 0.05). (c) Cell cycle analysis showing G0/G1 arrest (92.06 ± 9.2%) induced by the Liposomal Mix, accompanied by reduced S and G2/M populations, suggesting enhanced cell-cycle blockade versus free drugs.
