Curcumin cur

Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL molecular weight of 80,000 Da) was purchased from Sigma Aldrich while poly (l-lactide-co-d,l-lactide) (PLA 4032 D-Mw = 160,000 g/mol) was purchased from NatureWorks (Minnetonka, MN, USA). Tetrahydrofuran (THF pure-CAS: 109-99-9), Ethanol (EtOH purity > 96%-CAS 64-17-5) and Phosphate Buffer Solution (PBS-pH = 7 ± 0.02-CAS: 7558-79-4) were purchased from Carlo Erba Reagents (Cornaredo-Milano). N,N-Dimethylformamide (DMF-CAS 68-12-2) and Curcumin (Cur) were purchased from Sigma Aldrich (Milan, Italy). Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and Lactate dehydrogenase assay were from Roche Applied Science (Milan, Italy). Human dermal fibroblasts were purchased from the American Type Culture Collection ATCC (LGC Standards S.R.L., Sesto San Giovanni, Milan, Italy) and cultured in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Fetal bovine serum (FBS), Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s Medium (DMEM), sodium pyruvate, L-glutamine, penicillin, and streptomycin were purchased from Hyclone (Milan, Italy).

Curcumin (CUR) was purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (St. Louis, MO, USA), prepared in DMSO, and stored at −20 °C. The OM-MSCs were pretreated with CUR at a final concentration of 10 μM in 10% FBS-containing culture medium for 24 h.

Alpha-naphthylisothiocyanate (ANIT) and curcumin (CUR) were obtained from Sigma-Aldrich (Sigma-Aldrich, USA). All the bile acid standards were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich as well. Danning tablet used in this study were produced by Shanghai Huchison Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd (batch No. Z10910040). Ammonium acetate, formic acid, acetonitrile and methanol (HPLC grade) were purchased from Fisher Scientific (Nepean, Ont, Canada). Ultrapure water was prepared by a Milli-Q50 SP Reagent Water System (Millipore Corporation, MA, USA) for the preparation of samples and buffer solutions.

L-α-Phosphatidylcholine (egg yolk, ~60%, confirmed by thin layer-chromatography (TLC)) and sodium cholate hydrate (≥97%; dried material) were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich. Cholesterol was provided by CRODA Inc. (East Yorkshire, England). Poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) Pluronic^® P-123 (average M_n ~5800) employed as a polymer for nanocarriers stabilization, was acquired from Sigma-Aldrich (Poznań, Poland). Methylene Blue (MB) Injection (1%; Akorn, Inc., Lake Forest, IL, USA) and curcumin (CUR) (Sigma-Aldrich, Poznań, Poland) were used as active model compounds. Chloroform and tetrahydrofuran (THF) was supplied by Avantor Performance Materials Poland S.A. (formerly POCH S.A., Gliwice, Poland). Distilled water was used for all experiments. All the above-mentioned chemicals were of commercial grade and were applied as received.

All drugs and photosensitizers were prepared and stored protected from light.
Photogem (PG; Photogem LLC. Co., Moscow, Russia) and Methylene blue (MB; Sigma Co., St. Louis, USA) were dissolved in PBS and stored at −20 °C. Cisplatin (CisPT) was obtained as a 0.5 mg/mL solution (Tecnoplatin, Zodiac Produtos Farmaceuticos S/A, Brazil), stored at room temperature. Curcumin (CUR; Sigma Co., St. Louis, USA) was solubilized in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and stored at −20 °C. All drugs above were diluted to working concentrations prior to use. Doxorubicin (DOX) was obtained as doxorubicin hydrochloride powder (Cloridrato de doxorrubicina, Eurofarma, Brazil) and solutions were prepared in sterile distilled water immediately prior to use.