Preparation of folic acid-conjugated dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticles for pH-controlled release and targeted delivery of a cyclometallated gold(III) complex as an antitumor agent

Publication date: Available online 7 July 2018Source: Journal of Molecular LiquidsAuthor(s): Samira Malekmohammadi, Hassan Hadadzadeh, Zahra AmirghofranAbstractThe purpose of this study is to develop a targeted drug delivery system containing folic acid-conjugated dendritic amino mesoporous silica nanoparticles (DFMSNs) loaded with a cyclometallated gold(III) complex, [Au(bzpy)Cl2] (bzpy = 2-benzylpyridine), as a cytotoxic agent (Au(drug)@DFMSNs). The products, including the Au(III) complex, DFMSNs, and Au(drug)@DFMSNs, were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), UV–Vis, 1H NMR, Fourier transformation infrared (FT-IR), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), zeta potential measurements, and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The in vitro release study in different pH conditions show that the release of the Au(III) complex from the folic acid functionalized amino mesoporous silica nanoparticles is sustained and pH dependent. The in vitro cytotoxicity test of the free Au(drug), free nanocarrier (DFMSNs), Au(drug) loaded folate-conjugated nanocarrier (Au(drug)@DFMSNs), and Au(drug) loaded nanocarrier without folate-conjugation (Au(drug)@DAMSNs) against two human cancer cell lines, including MCF-7 (human breast carcinoma cell lines) and A549 (human lung carcinoma cell lines...
Source: Journal of Molecular Liquids - Category: Molecular Biology Source Type: research