The extraction, encapsulation, characterization and the anti-cancer effect of a phytochemical encapsulated in a biodegradable polymeric nanoparticle is an active area of research. There are only few in vitro and in vivo studies reported on the anti-cancer effect of lycopene, This research area requires further wide-ranging examination since earlier studies have not adequately considered on the anticancer aspect of lycopene in the in vitro and in vivo models. Due to the lower adverse effects of plant derived phytochemicals compared to the conventional drugs used in treating cancer, there is a-groWihg interest in the anti-cancer effect of lycopene and their significant impact 9h human health. It. is already evident from the previous literaturs that lycopene is capable of preventing cellular damage by scavenging the free radicals which causes several human pathologies. This antioxidant property of lycopene encouraged us to investigate the anti-cancer effect of lycopene on various˜ mblecular targets of breast cancer using in vitro model for the understanding the mechanism of action in the nano encapsulated form. Hence, the present study is focused on the extraction and confirmation of lycopene, encapsulation of lycopene into gelatin nanoparticles, characterization of the lycopene loaded gelatin nanoparticles and their toxicity evaluation at molecular level in terms of cytotoxicity and anti-cancer effect in breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cell lines.
