New Chitosan-Based Trimetallic Cu0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 Nanoparticles: Preparation, Characterization, and Anti-cancer Activity
Pharmacy Practice
Abstract
Objective: Develop a new nanomagnetic delivery system using trimetallic nanoparticles. Results: In this study, the structural morphology and the biological effects of magnetic Cu0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles alone and with various coatings were investigated. The nanoparticles have shown a high potential biomedical application alone and as a targeted drug delivery system. The Cu0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles were prepared by the phyto-mediated coprecipitation approach using Boswellia carteri resin aqueous extract. The synthesized nanoparticles underwent characterization through X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The XRD and TEM analysis revealed that the ultrafine nanoparticles were of size 20-85 nm. The coated NPs are chitosan-based, and the average nanoparticle size of polyethylene glycol (PEG) polymers was found to be 311-790 nm. The magnetic nanoparticles with the optimum particle size of 20 nm were then coated with chitosan and PEG polymer to form homogeneous suspensions. The hydrodynamic diameter and the polydispersity index (PDI) were analyzed by dynamic light scattering and were found to vary depending on the coating type. Conclusion: The MTT assay showed a relevant correlation between the size of the coated particles and the anti-cancer activity. Significantly, our data revealed a noteworthy correlation between coated particle size and anti-tumor reactivity, emphasizing the importance of optimizing particle size for enhanced cellular uptake. Notably, the plant extract used in nanoparticle synthesis exhibited a toxicity level of 134.57 µg/ml on fibroblasts, suggesting that the biological reactivity primarily originated from the metallic nanoparticles. The polymer coating effectively mitigated the toxicity of Cu0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nanoparticles on normal cells.