Synthesis of functionalized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles for ibuprofen and naproxen hydrophobic drugs delivery

Abstract

In this study, we have developed a superparamagnetic iron oxide (IONPs) nanocarrier bi-functionalized using β-cyclodextrin (CD) and chitosan (CS) molecules. The synthesized semi-spherical CS-CD–SIO–NPs were mono-dispersed in size distribution with the average diameter of 80 nm. The loading of ibuprofen (IBU) and naproxen (NAP) on the surface of the CS-CD–SIO–NPs as hydrophobic drug models were evaluated as the function of temperature and pH values. Using the optimal conditions, the NAP-loaded CS-CD–SIO–NPs showed Korsmeyer- Peppas kinetics governed by diffusion and swelling of the drug molecule. On the other hand, IBU-loaded nanocarrier followed the zero-order kinetic model, where the release profile is independent of its concentration. Nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms revealed the mono-dispersed ink-bottle shapes of the pores (pore size ∼2–4 nm) on the surface of mesoporous CS-CD–SIO–NPs. The synthesized nanocarrier exhibited enhanced biocompatibility in the presence of 3T3 and HepG2 cell lines (90 % cell viability up to 150 μg/mL concentration. Overall, the developed β-CD and chitosan grafted-iron oxide nanocarrier showed enhanced drug release kinetics and biocompatibility, which can be ideal for drug delivery applications, especially for hydrophobic drugs.