Simple one-pot fabrication of ultra-stable core-shell superparamagnetic nanoparticles for potential application in drug delivery

Abstract

Ultrastable superparamagnetic core-shell nanoparticles of average diameter 80 nm have been fabricated via a simple one-pot method involving superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) core (y50 nm in diameter) and lipid bilayer shell by high energy ultrasonication. The surface charges (zeta potentials) were measured to be between 215 mV and + 16 mV depending on the batch composition. Anticancer drug mitomycin C (MMC) was loaded into four different samples of variable surface charges in aqueous solution (pH = 6.8) and released in PBS buffer (pH = 7.2) at room temperature. The kinetics of drug loading and releasing data indicated that the stable lipid bilayer coated SPIONs (LBCSPIONs) of nearly neutral surface exhibited the highest loading (10.9 mg of MMC/mg of materials), whereas uncoated or partially coated SPIONs of positive zeta potential exhibited the lowest loading (2.8 and 3.5 mg MMC/mg of materials, respectively). The release behavior of MMC was observed to be highest (5.8 mg MMC/mg of materials) from materials of negative zeta potential compared to materials of near neutral surfaces (3.68 mg MMC/mg of materials). The plausible mechanism of MMC loading and releasing behavior has been explained based on the electrostatic interaction and diffusion through the lipid bilayers. To ensure biocompatibility, the interaction of the prepared SPIONs with human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa) was also investigated using an MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay and ROS (reactive oxygen species) production assay and the results confirmed the supercompatibility of LBCSPIONs.

The fabrication and characterization of stable core-shell superparamagnetic nanocomposites for potential application in drug delivery

“…Synthesis of core-shell superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (SPIONs) were synthesized by co-precipitation of an aqueous solution of ferrous and ferric chloride in the presence of ammonium hydroxide, with full details reported elsewhere. 9 Briefly, 8.46 g of FeCl 2 Á4H 2 O and 22.95 g of FeCl 3 Á6H 2 O was dissolved in 500 ml of degassed and deionized water under a nitrogen environment. The mixture was stirred in an oil bath at 80 C. A volume of 50 ml of aqueous ammonium hydroxide (25% w/v NH 4 OH) was added drop-wise to the mixture over 30 min.…”

“…Loading of the MMC drug on the liposome-coated particles and the silica-coated particles was carried out using an incubation method described in detail previously, 9 except at a temperature of 10 C instead of 25 C. In both cases, the amount of MMC loading was determined by measuring the UV absorption at 365 nm (k 365 nm ) at different time intervals until saturation was reached and with the concentration values found from comparison with a pre-established standard curve of known MMC concentrations in water. MMC-loaded nanoparticles from each of the two types of coatings were separated from the reaction solution by magnetic separation and washed with deionized water prior to use in the release study.…”

“…Likewise, liposome coatings are also good candidates with well-known drug delivery properties and the ability to increase stability in suspension by the modification of surface charge. 8,9 However, as most investigations involve composites of size > 100 nm there is a real need for fabrication and study in the sub 100 nm range if diffusion through the target cell membrane is to be achieved.…”

Measurement of the Structural Unit in magnetic dispersions

“…More recently there has been increasing interest in dispersions of magnetic nanoparticles for their potential biomedical applications [2] such as in drug delivery, contrasting agents and magnetic hyperthermia and hence the development of methods for the characterisation of magnetic dispersions is an important field of study.…”

The Observed Linearity and Detection Response of Magnetic Fluid Concentration Magnetometry—A Theoretical and Experimental Description

“…HE FABRICATION and characterization of dispersions of magnetic particles continues to be an important field of study with a wide range of applications that includes the wellestablished ferrofluids and their association with industrial/engineering uses [1], through to suspensions used in the fabrication of high-end flexible data storage media [2] and to the increasing interest in dispersions of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for potential biomedical applications such as those of drug delivery, contrasting agents and magnetic hyperthermia [3].…”