School of Chemistry, Damghan University, Damghan, Iran.
School of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
Int J Biol Macromol. 2023 Jun 30;241:124566. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.124566. Epub 2023 Apr 25.
Nanocomposites are promising drug carriers to treat terminal cancers with few adverse effects. Herein, nanocomposite hydrogels composed of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)/starch/reduced graphene oxide (RGO) were synthesized via a green chemistry approach and then encapsulated in double nanoemulsions to act as pH-responsive delivery systems for curcumin, a potential antitumor drug. A water/oil/water nanoemulsion containing bitter almond oil served as a membrane surrounding the nanocarrier to control drug release. DLS and zeta potential measurements were used to estimate the size and confirm the stability of curcumin-loaded nanocarriers. The intermolecular interactions, crystalline structure and morphology of the nanocarriers were analyzed through FTIR spectroscopy, XRD and FESEM, respectively. The drug loading and entrapment efficiencies were significantly improved compared to previously reported curcumin delivery systems. In vitro release experiments demonstrated the pH-responsiveness of the nanocarriers and the faster curcumin release at a lower pH. The MTT assay revealed the increased toxicity of the nanocomposites against MCF-7 cancer cells compared to CMC, CMC/RGO or free curcumin. Apoptosis was detected in MCF-7 cells via flow cytometry tests. The results obtained herein support that the developed nanocarriers are stable, uniform and effective delivery systems for a sustained and pH-sensitive curcumin release.
纳米复合材料是治疗晚期癌症的有前途的药物载体，副作用较少。本文通过绿色化学方法合成了由羧甲基纤维素（CMC）/淀粉/还原氧化石墨烯（RGO）组成的纳米复合水凝胶，然后封装在双纳米乳液中，作为姜黄素的 pH 响应递送系统，姜黄素是一种潜在的抗肿瘤药物。含有苦杏仁油的水/油/水纳米乳液作为纳米载体的膜，以控制药物释放。通过 DLS 和zeta 电位测量来估计载药纳米载体的大小并确认其稳定性。通过傅里叶变换红外光谱（FTIR）、X 射线衍射（XRD）和场发射扫描电子显微镜（FESEM）分别分析了纳米载体的分子间相互作用、结晶结构和形态。与之前报道的姜黄素递送系统相比，载药纳米载体的载药量和包封效率显著提高。体外释放实验表明纳米载体具有 pH 响应性，在较低 pH 值下，姜黄素释放更快。MTT 测定表明，与 CMC、CMC/RGO 或游离姜黄素相比，纳米复合材料对 MCF-7 癌细胞的毒性增加。通过流式细胞术检测 MCF-7 细胞中的细胞凋亡。本文的结果表明，所开发的纳米载体是稳定、均匀和有效的姜黄素持续和 pH 敏感释放的递送系统。
