The
present study introduces a superparamagnetic nanocomposite,
Fe–Si–In, as a T2 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast
agent with a core of iron oxide nanoparticles and a nonporous silica
inner shell/carboxymethyl inulin outer shell. Due to its core/shell
properties, the structure characterization, biocompatibility, and
performance in MRI, as well as its potential as a drug delivery system,
were thoroughly evaluated. The results have shown that the synthesized
nanocomposite possesses excellent biocompatibility and acceptable
magnetization (M
s = 20 emu g–1). It also has the potential to be a nanocarrier for drug delivery
purposes, as evidenced by the results of curcumin administration studies.
The developed nanocomposite has shown excellent performance in MRI,
while the in vitro relaxivity measurements reveal
a stronger T2 relaxivity (r
2 = 223.2 ms)
compared to the commercial samples available in the market. Furthermore,
the in vivo MRI studies demonstrate an excellent
contrast between injured livers and normal ones in rats which again
upholds the high performance of Fe–Si–In in MRI diagnostics.